My little J loves his WubbaNub friends! I bought the brown dog (named Henry by my husband) when he was just 2 months old, and I’ve been hooked ever since! The problem is when you’re 6 WubbaNubs deep and your teething toddler starts chewing through all of the nipples, it can be costly to replace them.
Instead, I decided to cut the ripped nipple off and sew on a new Soothie nipple. It only took about 15 minutes (to repair each WubbaNub) and Henry, Jack, Puffin, Babar, George Tucker, and Freddy are as good as new!
To easily repair your little one’s favorite WubbaNub friend, follow these simple steps.
Items You Need:
Thread
Needle
Small Scissors (I used nail scissors)
Thimble (optional)
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Instructions:
Start by cutting the old nipple off right where it meets the stuffed animal. Try to get as close as possible without cutting into the fabric.
Once most of the old nipple has been removed, you’ll be able to see the stitching underneath. This stitching needs to be removed in order to retrieve the rest of the nipple that’s inside the mouth.
I used nail scissors to cut down the middle of the remaining piece of rubber because they have a very small tip and good maneuverability. You’ll need to dig slightly to cut through and expose the stitching underneath.
Once you have removed the stitching, pull out the remaining piece of the nipple. Don’t forget to grab the little stay threads. Next, slide a new Phillips Avent Soothie nipple about halfway into the opening that you’ve just created.
When placing the new nipple inside, be sure that the eyes of the nipple are upright (if you look closely, a Soothie looks like a happy face with 2 eyes and a smile).
With the new nipple inserted, pinch tight with one hand to keep the nipple in place. Now, start threading your needle through to secure the new nipple.
Tip: Start on the inside to hide the tiny knot at the end of your thread.
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You’ll find it very easy to sew through the rubber. If you have sensitive fingers, however, I do suggest having a thimble on hand. Once you have worked your way from one end to the other, tie off your thread at least twice, cut the remaining thread, and violà!
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How many WubbaNub nipples has your toddler chewed through? How many did you replace before you considered repairing them yourself? I’d love to know in the comments below.
Hi! I’m Meagan and I’m a 41 year old mom of a high energy almost 9 year old, happily navigating my way through the little boy years. I’ve been married for 14 years. I met my husband over 20 years ago in high school; we got married 10 years later after graduating from the University of South Florida. I currently help run a family business with my parents while blogging about my life and love of DIY projects!
When I’m not at a kids sports game, I enjoy spending time with my family on a beach anywhere. I also love decorating and organizing, fun DIY projects, bargain shopping, and eating out or in! I also love Barbecue anything and a good show or movie on Netflix.
THANK YOU! My daughter is 2.5 and only has her “wubba” for bedtime now, but he is so worn and the paci is barely hanging onto him by a thread. Buying a new one wouldn’t cut it – he is so loved and grimy that she would totally know the difference. I will try to replace the paci instead. Thanks for the tutorial! 🙂
I had the same problem with my son-hope this helps!
We have four Wubs and after losing one I have been very diligent about keeping track of them only to have our little guy work (chew?) little holes into now three of the four pacis. I’m not a great sewer but I’m willing to give it a try! I wish he’d take an orthodontic pacifier but he only likes the gumdrop and WubbaNubs.
Thank you for this tutorial! My 15m old will not take any other pacifier but her one wubbanub puppy ( not even another wubbanub)… so when it finally broke yesterday it’s been…. difficult. LOL. I replaced the pacifier on her ratty, smelly, old puppy and she took it no problem! Thank you!!!
My daughter has put holes in 4 now. She is almost 22 months old. We bought 4 wubba nubs. Now I am just going to try sewing the new ones on instead of buying her a new one. I will see how it goes! 🙂 Thanks for writing this post!
I hope you got it figured out! This trick saved me a lot during the pacifier stage. Good luck!
I’m so happy you found it useful!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, you saved our night!!! I’m a grandma whose Labrador just ate the Wubba Nub pacifier, right at bedtime on night to watch our baby granddaughter. Luckily, I had a package of the same pacifiers left over from an older grand so I’m going to replace the pacifier tonight and slip it in the crib.
Hi, I am a grandmother 🙂
I would like to assist my daughter, I find this a really great idea!
Anyway, you seem to sew a new green one on the fabric but are they not the light-blue ones in the box?
Simply thinking if both can as easily be sewn on?