The dog ate my teddy: Leith Toy Hospital Junk Rescue

Leith Toy Hospital on Junk Rescue!

Some of the most rewarding jobs at the toy hospital involve rescuing something that looks completely beyond repair. Does that sound like something that could be on a TV show? Well, we have some very exciting news: Leith Toy Hospital is going to be featured on the CBeebies show Junk Rescue! Their focus on sustainability and creative re-use will be a perfect match for the work we do, bringing old toys back to life. We both would have loved this sort of show when we were little, and the junkyard looks like heaven for crafty kids! We’re very excited to be featured on the show, which will be filming later on in the summer.

We’ll let everyone know when to watch us on TV, but for now, here’s a recent story from the toy hospital where we restored something that looked like junk. It was a very sad case of a stuffed dog which had been shredded by its living counterpart. Our patient came to us as a bag full of stuffing and fabric scraps, and at first we couldn’t imagine how it could ever be put back together!

Sad shredded pieces of stuffed dog

Shredded dog restoration

First of all we discarded the old stuffing, and put the fabric pieces through the wash on a gentle cycle, inside a pillowcase. They were a bit dingy and doggy-smelling before, and came out much improved. Once the pieces were dry, we got to work figuring out how they all went together. Fortunately, the shredding was pretty neat and there weren’t any pieces missing. First we mended the tears in each separate piece, then put them together like a puzzle. It was a fun challenge to work out how they all fit together!

Working on a puppy puzzle

When the whole thing was re-assembled, we added stuffing, and it was amazing to see a cute stuffed toy take shape from what had been a pile of scraps! He’s home again now, and safely out of the reach of mischievous puppies!

stuffed dog junk rescue

Have you ever had a pet destroy a favourite toy? What sort of junk would you most like to be able to rescue? How excited are you to see Picture to Puppet on Junk Rescue?!?