Feel Good Friday: Woman turns school blazers into memory bears [photos]

After high school, most school-leavers hang their blazers in the cupboards and never see them again. Santie Pretorius from Secunda, Mpumalanga has found an innovative way for school-leavers to remember all their hard work and achievements from high school and it only takes one school blazer!

The arts and crafts shop owner takes the blazers and turns them into sentimental memory bears for school-leavers. She told GoodThingsGuy the bears are made by hand and one memory bear takes her between three to four days to make. 

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WHERE IT ALL STARTED FOR SANTIE 

Santie Pretorius is the owner of the Mangoliso arts and crafts shop in Secunda. Pretorius started making memory bears when a close friend lost her husband in an accident. Their teenage daughter struggled with the loss and so, Santie made a bear to comfort her. She then made bears for the entire family. 

Santie, who now has a passion for making memory bears, says the school blazer bears help with “that blazer that is collecting dust in the cupboard where nobody sees it”. 

“Now it can be displayed in your home in a very special area where everybody can see and appreciate the true value of it along with all the hard work and determination through your school years,” she told GoodThingsGuy.  

MAKING THE MEMORY BEARS BY HAND 

Santie also mentioned that creating one memory bear takes her three to four days to make. 

“Most parts are done by hand and I prefer to do all the work myself because it’s my passion to make other people’s special memories,” said Santie. 

She added that she does not have a favourite bear. 

“All bears are special and unique and the stories behind every bear are precious and close to my heart.” 

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MEMORY BEARS