Entries Tagged as 'handmade toys'

handmade wooden toy eggs

I am very partial to toys that allow kids to play with them using their imaginations.  I have pretty much stopped buying toys for Anya but I do make exceptions for toys that let the child make up different games and allow them to play without any rules, especially wooden toys.  So when I came across these beautiful handmade wooden toys from Hungary, many of which are games, I knew that these are the kind of toys that I like to encourage in my home.  When the ladies behind these toys offered to send Anya one, I wasn’t going to say no.

handmade wooden toys gamesimaginative wooden toys gameshandmade wooden toys for imaginative play

All the toys in Eperfa’s collection are inspired by nature and childhood games.  The three mums who started this collection are from Hungary and were inspired by the Hungarian countryside where they grew up, played and had many adventures as children. 

handmade wooden toy fish

What I love most about the toys is their simplicity and because of it,  the amount of endless imaginative play they offer.  Take these wooden eggs that are a rolling game – you put the smallest egg on the floor, stand some distance away and roll the other eggs towards it.  The player who gets closest to the smallest egg wins.  We’ve had fun playing this game but Anya has also used these eggs for so many other things like making breakfast, egg hunts, drawing eggs – the list goes on.  I also love that the eggs come beautifully packaged in a box full of hay, adding to the endless ways in which it can be played with.  Similarly the fish puzzle in their collection is a beautiful puzzle of joining up the fish but the fish can be used to play with in so many ways.

I am all for wooden toys like these but sometimes they can cost ten times as much as the plastic ones.  Luckily Eperfa’s wooden toys don’t cost the earth.  They are very fairly priced especially as they are all handmade and hand painted.  And for me, it’s always quality over quantity.  Are you a fan of wooden toys?

"handmade doll giveaway"

With Christmas coming, it’s the perfect time to give.  So today it’s another giveaway.  This time for a gorgeous handmade doll that would make an adorable Christmas gift.  Read on for all the details.

"handmade dolls for kids"

Do you know pink nounou?  It’s a little studio in Portugal that makes the cutest handmade dolls and soft toys as well as sweet paper products like notebooks, posters and party invitations.  All these goodies are made by Ana who is a mum and a graphic designer.  Ana has a very distinctive style that is colourful and playful which is very appealing to kids but also to anyone young at heart.  I fell in love with Ana’s creations a long time ago because to put it simply, everything that Ana makes leaves you feeling happy. 

"unique handmade dolls"

Ana kindly sent Anya a doll too and Anya loves it.  It’s become her nightly sleeping companion and her daytime ‘friend’ so when I took it away to take pictures there were tears.  This doll is called Amelia and each one is different.  Different fabrics are used for the top and the bottom half of the doll to keep the dolls unique.  The doll has no loose bits so it’s not only great for little girls but for younger kids too and would make a lovely Christmas gift.

The prize:  The winner picked at random will win one Amelia doll.  The colour of the doll will be different from the one pictured as each doll is handmade and unique.

To enter:  Simply visit the ebabee shop and Pink Nounou and sign up to both the newsletters.  Then come back here and leave a comment below saying that you have done so. Your entry is only valid when all steps are completed. (Remember sometimes newsletter sign-up confirmation emails can go in your spam folder so do check there too)

One entry per person and this competition is open to all my readers worldwide. – YAY!  The competition closes at midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 25th November 2014.  Any entries after this time will not be counted.  The winner will be announced on this post and on my ebabee facebook page on Thursday 27th November.  Good luck!  

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Alexandra. Congrats Alexandra!

Cute games on the go!

October 1, 2014

"tic tac toe travel game""travel chess game for kids""travel memory game for children""travel sized checkers game"

Do your kids constantly ask to play board games?  In our home Anya loves to play games.   If I agreed to it, she would have me playing from morning to night.  I normally enjoy playing with her, that is until she loses.  Then it’s tears and grumpiness and everything that all five year olds do when they don’t win.  But I can’t blame her too much because I still don’t like losing!  Who does?  Games also make fun birthday gifts especially when you don’t know the child too well so recently while searching for a gift I came across these adorable games.  So cute aren’t they?  With bright colours and cute illustrations most of these handmade games are small so they’re perfect at home or on the go too. 

Hand made teddy bears

March 31, 2014

"handmade natural fibre teddy bears"

Who doesn’t love a cuddly teddy bear?  And these ones by Polka Dot Club are made with love and care by an artist who believes in heritage toys but with a modern update.  These bears are all handmade using only natural materials instead of the synthetic fibres that you mostly find these days.  Jennifer Murphy, the artist behind Polka Dot Club, learned to sew and make teddy bears from her mother.  And not so long ago she started this adorable club where you can find limited edition and one off bears like these as well as the cutest little rabbits.  Handmade, durable, and natural toys are becoming more and more rare so it’s always exciting to come across someone who is so passionate about toys that aren’t just for today but for generations to come.  The handmade teddy bears also come with the cutest wardrobe, don’t you think?

"handmade wooden circus toy""handmade wooden toys netherlands""wooden coty themed toys"These handmade wooden toys made me smile with their quirky and creative looks.  But when I read about them, I fell even more in love.  The little whimsical people are called ‘Hurbanos’.  Hurbanos are people who love city life for all it’s complexity and diversity.  Each of these wooden characters is unique and come with it’s own ID, much like every city dweller.  In addition to the characters and their wooden cityscapes, I’m also loving that unusual circus balancing toy.  All these toys are handmade in the Netherlands by The Watermelon Cat Company.  Even their company name reflects their quirky creativity!

A special delivery…

April 15, 2013

"handmade crochet toys""handmade crochet rattle toy"Last Friday, we received a wonderful surprise in the post, all the way from Buenos Aires.  The super talented Adriana Torres sent us this delightful crochet lion rattle in a bed.  I have long been a fan of Adriana’s handmade creations which include adorable crochet toys, blankets and home wares.  This little lion with his beautiful blanket and bed is super cute and has already charmed my daughter (and me!).  Adriana’s brand is Miga de Pan where you can see more of her work or if you’d like to buy any of her creations, you’ll find a selection at Couverture.  If you haven’t come across Miga de Pan before then I seriously urge you to take a look… you won’t be disappointed.  And of course, a huge thanks to Adriana for this very special delivery.  

"hand made finger puppets"How cute are these guys?  I don’t normally get excited about finger puppets but I couldn’t help falling for these ones.  Made by Ayelet from Israel, it feels like she has taken all that is cute and lovable about these animals and brought it to life in her creations.  And the extra little touch of the knitted hoodies just adds to their cuteness.  You’ll find kangaroos, squirrels, pandas and camels in her collection which also includes mobiles and display boxes in addition to finger puppets.  They’re all handmade from 100% wool and can be bought individually or in sets, but for me it’s the affectionate little pairs that are the sweetest.  I found out about Lazy Animals a while ago when I received an email and I have been meaning to share ever since as they’re just too adorable to miss!

"handmade baby mobile"

"princess and the pea doll set"You might be wondering what exactly the picture above is… I wondered the same when I saw it but I knew that I had to find out more.  It’s a Princess and the Pea playset.  How cute is that?  Seven handmade mattresses have been covered in vintage fabrics and topped with a wool felt pea.  They all come packaged in a muslin bag with an embroidered quote from the story.  Any kid who knows the fairytale will delight in playing with this.  This is the creation of 2 mums who were armed with little more than a sewing machine, bags of unwanted wool and fabrics when they decided to start a little boutique called Seven Smooches.

"fox elephant finger puppet"

Everything is hand made at Seven Smooches who also make clothes, hats, blankets and other cute little things for kids.  But it’s their play things that really got my attention like these adorable finger puppets each of which come with a little accessory.  It’s the imagination and the level of detail that go in to their creations that really make them special.  Seven Smooches don’t seem to have updated their site recently as there are only collections from 2011, but you can go here for the Princess and Pea set and here for the finger puppets.

Wooden toy joy…

June 26, 2012

"beautiful wooden toys"

If you drop by often, you’ll know that I have a thing for wooden toys.  They’re great for passing down from one sibling to another but also from generation to generation.  And of course they look so much better than their plastic counterparts.  Today I’ve found 4 wooden toys that are beautiful and look like they would be great fun to play with too:

1.  Mama duck and her ducklings…  while these aren’t strictly toys, I’m sure they would delight slightly older kids and for babies they’d make elegant nursery decorations.

2.  Balloon powered cars… these simple but stylish cars are handmade from timber found in the German Alps and they look like they’d be great fun to play with.

3.  Wooden iPhone… I love this cool little toy that’s an iPhone but also a set of mini blocks for little hands to play with.

4.  Wooden play camera… which kid doesn’t like to take pretend pictures?  This toy is from Japan and it’s sleek, minimal design is what makes it stand out from the crowd.

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