About Budsies Custom Keepsakes

Whether artwork, people, or pets: we make the world more huggable!

Budsies® is a US based company that got its start bringing artwork to life in the form of huggable, loveable stuffed animals and then expanded to include other keepsakes, including pillows, bobbleheads, pajamas, and other fun products.

The team is filled with creative, caring individuals from around the world, all with one major goal—to do something meaningful and provide people with lasting comfort, cuddles, and joy. Since officially launching in 2013, Budsies has taken off — with hundreds of thousands of custom toys finding happy homes in 60+ countries around the world. 

Budsies History

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Growth & Milestones

Some of Budsies greatest achievements to date include:

  • Philanthropic partnerships with hospitals across the United States through our Budsies Pals Program

  • Creating more than 200,000 Budsies

  • Launching fun new products!

  • Projects with The Gap, Cut the Rope, Crayola, and Disney

  • Appearances on The Today Show, ABC’s Shark Tank, CNBC, BuzzFeed, New York Times, and more.

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How It All Began

Budsies founder, Alex Furmansky, would see his little sister's artwork and drawings evolve throughout her childhood, but was saddened by the thought that they would eventually be buried in a box in the basement.

He wasn't sure of the solution at first, but then saw Michelle hugging her stuffed animals and tucking them in one night. He asked himself: “What if I could turn a drawing into a stuffed animal friend that would last forever?”

All children could have their own personal buddies (hence the name Budsies!) to hug and hold. The idea of literally bringing drawings to life and turning them into a lasting keepsake for kids was too good not to try - thus, Budsies was born! 

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Future Plans

The future of Budsies and its product offerings, including the original Budsies, Budsies Selfies and Petsies, is bright! In 2021, Alex passed the baton to new owner and CEO, Scott Meier, who is dedicated to continuing the amazing work Budsies has done so far.

Quality & Safety

The Budsies team is driven by a commitment to safety and quality. All Budsies materials go through safety testing. Budsies are all made of hypoallergenic materials and adhere to rigorous standards of stitching quality and materials. Since some toys may have small/thin fabric pieces, Budsies recommends they only be given to children 3+ years of age.

Budsies contracts certified 3rd party CPSC-approved laboratories to conduct materials and composition testing of its products.

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Giving Back To Our Community

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Giving back and supporting others in need has always been a priority at Budsies. The company donates supplies and Budsies to schools and retirement communities, makes free Budsies for kids in need, and helps raise funding for various kids’ charitable foundations and teachers looking to do something unique for their students.

Budsies flagship philanthropy is called Budsies Pals. Budsies partners with nonprofits and hospitals around the U.S. to donate custom stuffed animals to children in need. You can learn more about getting involved  here.

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Partners

Budsies has had the privilege of forging partnerships with incredible companies and 

organizations. Here is a sampling of the brands we work with.

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App Partners

Monster Create

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Create your own super cute monsters to play with!

Behavior World

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Help improve a child’s behavior through a reward system

Drawing Desk

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#1 Entertainment Drawing App for iOS

ArtKive

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The perfect app for scrapbooking your child’s artwork

Media

We are humbled by the positive media attention Budsies has received. Here are some of 

our favorite coverage examples from the past couple of years:

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Interested in learning more? Are you a media outlet? Check out the Budsies Media Kit and reach out to our team so we can share more of what’s happening behind the scenes at Budsies HQ. We also come across some truly incredible stories from families, from fathers playing plush “choo choos” with their sons to families overcoming unimaginable tragedies. These stories inspire us every day and we hope you will help their voices inspire families worldwide.

Media

We are humbled by the positive media attention Budsies has received.

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Interested in learning more? Are you a media outlet? Reach out to our team so we can share more of what’s happening behind the scenes at Budsies HQ. 

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Schools

Want to spread the magic of Budsies and get funding into your child’s school?

We would love to work with you! Please leave your contact information and we’ll reach out to you when we launch the program. 

Distributors & Ambassadors

If you currently sell family-oriented products or you’re a passionate networker who loves our services, then we would love to work with you.

Digital distributors, influencers, and those highly engaged in their communities  can sign up to our  affiliate program.  Here, you'll receive a special link which will allow you to earn a % of all orders you drive to Budsies.com. Please visit our  Affiliates page  for the most current information.

Ambassadors  are most welcome to join our Referral Program. With this program, you earn free Budsies when your friends buy Budsies. Your friends, in turn, will receive a % off their purchase. Everyone wins! Please see our  Referral Program  for more details.

Major brands, digital apps, and art or pet-related companies  interested in deeper partnerships are also most welcome! We've done everything from joint social media campaigns to deep API integrations. We've worked with brands including Cut The Rope, Time Hop, Shoparoo, Celebrity Cruises, Toyota, Kellogg's, Drawing Desk, Artkive, Keepy, and plenty more. Please give us a shout at bizdev at budsies dot com.

Physical distributors  (like art studios, pre-schools, and retailers) are welcome to join our distributor program. Please  apply here  and we will reach out to you when we're ready.

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Customer Reviews & Testimonials

We are all about bringing joy and hugs into the world for our customers, so it's extremely heartwarming to see their reactions when they receive their custom products. You can see more Budsies reviews here