When celebrating kids’ birthdays, there’s nothing quite like a visit to your local Build-A-Bear Workshop. But let’s be real — Build-A-Bear stuffed animals, their clothing, and accessories can put a serious dent in your wallet that not even the free Build-A-Bear stuffing can fill. But right now is the time to shop. The Build-A-Bear Black Friday sale is on now and deals run through Nov. 25.
We’re seeing $10 bears — a 50% discount — along with half off a selection of clothing and accessories and 40% off matching family pajamas. Gifts drop to as low as $2 and you’ll get free shipping on $60+ orders with the code FREESHIP.
In this guide, we’ve assembled our best tips and tricks on how to save money at Build-A-Bear Workshop, all without sacrificing the fun and excitement of creating a special furry friend. From discounts to DIY options to how much their birthday parties cost, we’ve got you covered.
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Build-A-Bear Workshop prices typically start at $14 to build your plush toy, but we’ve got tips to save.
Let’s cover the most important question: How much will a Build-A-Bear cost you? When you visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop in person (or when you shop their website), you can “build” plushies of all shapes, sizes, and themes. But prices normally start at $14 for a basic plush bear without any personalization, outfits, or accessories.
Prices only go up from there depending on which type of plush you select and how you customize it. They have Build-A-Bear Pokemon characters, Star Wars, Peeps, Disney, Mario, and more. Once you get into these themed options, the prices can creep up to around $75. And that’s not counting clothing or other accessories.
Here are a few of the cheapest options for stuffed plushies at Build-A-Bear:
- Lil’ Cub Brownie, $14
- Lil’ Cub Pudding, $14
- Sweet Dreams Bear, $18
- Timeless Teddy, $22
Compare those prices to some of the more expensive Build-A-Bear characters:
- 25th Celebration Pikachu Bundle, $76
- Grogu Plush with Pram, $72 (reg. $79)
Now, here’s how to save the absolute most on these plush pals.
1. Shop Black Friday Deals for 50% off bears and clothing and accessories.
During the Build-A-Bear Black Friday sale, you’ll get some of their basic bears half off at just $10. You’ll also find other bears and plush friends at 50% — many ranging from $12 to $15. Plus, get 50% off select clothing and accessories, and gifts as low as $2.
The sale also gets you free shipping with $60 when you use code FREESHIP and 40% off matching family jammies.
If you’d prefer to shop Build-A-Bear in-store Black Friday deals, you’ll get buy one, get one free on select $12 bears.
Shop Build-A-Bear Black Friday deals online.
2. Join the Build-A-Bear Bonus Club to earn $10 in rewards for every $100 you spend.
The Build-A-Bear Bonus Club is a free loyalty program that lets you earn points and get access to exclusive offers, discounts, and perks. As long as you’re at least 18 years of age, you can join their Bonus Club and start earning points for every dollar you spend at Build-A-Bear workshop or online.
For every $1 you spend on an eligible purchase (even if it’s with a gift card), you’ll earn 1 point. Once you reach 100 points (or $100 spent), you’ll receive an email with a $10 reward certificate.
The best part about joining the Bonus Club? Your child will get to take part in the Pay Your Age promotion, which lets you pay a dollar amount equal to your child’s age for a Birthday Treat Bear (instead of the usual $14).
Additional perks of the Build-A-Bear Bonus Club:
- Early access to new releases before the public
- Exclusive offers
- Double points days
- Birthday coupons like $10 off a $30 purchase
- Birthday month freebies like a special birthday heart ceremony, sticker, and party hat
Related: Take advantage of tons of these birthday freebies and discounts — we even found a few that apply to kids.
3. Save up to 50% with a Build-A-Bear coupon or promotion.
When you visit the Promotions & Events page on BuildABear.com, you’ll see all the current discounts and offers.
When I checked in November 2023, they were listing their Black Friday promotions, but you can also get $10 off your next purchase of $30 or more.
As examples of what you’ll find during non-Black Friday months, in October of 2023 we saw:
- Kids’ costumes for $20 each
- Up to 30% off PJ sets
4. Buy a discounted Build-A-Bear gift card and save up to 30%.
Paying with a discounted gift card is one of our favorite hacks for saving money at any store. Here are the best offers we’ve seen on Build-A-Bear gift cards. If any of these aren’t currently available, check back because they come and go:
- $25 Build-A-Bear Gift Card, $17.50 at CardCookie — 30% savings (Currently sold out)
- $50 Build-A-Bear Gift Card, $37.50 at Sam’s Club — 25% savings
- 2-Pack of $25 Build-A-Bear Gift Cards, $39.99 at BJs — 20% savings
5. Get up to 50% off when you shop the Build-A-Bear Workshop clearance section.
Shopping the clearance section at BuildABear.com is a great way to knock up to 50% off regular prices on things like clothing and accessories.
6. Plan a Build-A-Bear Ultimate Experience party and get up to $30 worth of included freebies per guest.
As long as you have a group of five or more guests, you can book a Build-A-Bear party. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a birthday party, so you could go in with family or friends on a party and reap the savings on clothing items and bear carriers that come with certain packages.
Here’s what all Build-A-Bear Party packages include:
- Furry friend for each guest ($14+ value)
- Party leader
- Special heart ceremony
- Party games and activities
- Name tag stickers
- Bear earpaper party hats
- Photo prop photo op
- Light-up cupcake keepsake plush for the Birthday Guest of Honor
Option 1: Super Smiles Party Package ($20 per guest)
With this package, you’ll get about $1.95 worth of “freebies” per guest:
- One furry friend per guest (up to $14 value)
- One T-shirt for each furry friend ($7 value)
- Cub Condo ($0.95 value)
Option 2: Fantastic Fun Party Package ($28 per guest)
This package comes with about $7.95 worth of freebies per guest:
- One furry friend per guest (up to $20 value)
- One clothing item for each furry friend (up to $15 value)
- Cub Condo ($0.95 value)
Option 3: Awesome Adventure Party ($35 per guest)
This package includes about $11.95 worth of freebies per guest:
- One furry friend per guest (up to $26 value)
- One clothing item for each furry friend (up to $15 value)
- Bear Carrier ($5.95 value)
Option 4: Ultimate Experience Party ($45 per guest)
This package includes a whopping $29.45 worth of freebies per guest:
- One furry friend per guest (up to $36 value)
- One clothing item for each furry friend (up to $15 value)
- One footwear item for each furry friend (up to $9 value)
- One sound (up to $8.50 value)
- Bear Carrier ($5.95 value)
Option 5: Silver Celebration Party ($60 per guest)
While this package is the most expensive, you do get about $27.95 worth of included freebies per guest:
- Mascot appearance
- Signed Birthday Card
- Birthday bear ears headband for the Guest of Honor ($5 value)
- One furry friend per guest (up to $36 value)
- One clothing item for each furry friend (up to $15 value)
- One footwear item for each furry friend (up to $9 value)
- Wristie or head accessory (up to $9 value)
- One sound (up to $8.50 value)
- One scent ($4.50 value)
- Bear Carrier ($5.95 value)
7. Shop for knockoff Build-A-Bear clothing on Amazon and save 50%.
It’s amazing how quickly the bill can add up at Build-A-Bear, and it’s always due to the usual suspect — the clothing! Most Build-A-Bear outfits cost around $13 to $15, and the shoes are typically priced at $8. But you can snag lookalike clothing and shoes on Amazon for up to 50% off retail prices.
You’ll find a pretty good selection of outfits priced between $7 and $8, although I have found a few pieces for as low as $2.
Here’s an example of Amazon clothing deals that are similar to those you can buy at Build-A-Bear, but much cheaper because you get two outfits instead of one.
- Amazon: Set of 2 Unicorn Skirt Teddy Bear Clothes Outfit, $15.99
- Compare with Build-A-Bear: Sparkly Pastel Skirt Dress, $12.50
8. Stack the Build-A-Bear military discount with other promotions and save an additional 10%.
Build-A-Bear offers a 10% military discount that you can stack with other promotions like BOGO 50% off.
Note: You can only use the Build-A-Bear military discount in-store, and must show your photo ID during checkout.
9. Buy new, unstuffed bears on eBay to save up to 50%.
Quite a few eBay sellers offer unstuffed bears and animals at a discounted price. You’ll just take your unstuffed bear into a Build-A-Bear Workshop location to get it stuffed for free!
While you can get a bargain on new Build-A-Bear furry friends on eBay, be sure to research the item’s authenticity, condition, the seller’s ratings, and additional shipping costs to avoid any scams. When you do find a good deal, you can buy in multiples to stockpile gifts for events like baby showers and birthdays.
Here are a few eBay deals I’ve seen in the past:
- Unstuffed Pink Cuddles Teddy, $11.50 with free shipping (compared to $20 from Build-A-Bear)
- Unstuffed Happy Hugs Teddy, $10 with free shipping (compared to $20 from Build-A-Bear)
10. Follow Build-A-Bear Workshop on social media to stay on top of current promotions.
You can be up-to-date on the newest arrivals and sales when you follow Build-A-Bear on Facebook and Twitter. Or add Build-A-Bear to your list of favorite stores on The Krazy Coupon Lady app.
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