I never liked dolls as a child or as an adult. The barbies and cindy’s of this world just didn’t do it for me. But when I had my own little girl and started writing this blog I discovered a whole new world of hand made dolls that are so beautiful and unusual that I wish I had my childhood again. Since that’s impossible, I shall live vicariously through my daughter and indulge my new found passion. How can I resist when there are gorgeously quirky dolls like these on offer? These bear beauties (and a rabbit) are hand made using linen, cotton and lots of imagination; their clothes so glamorous, they wouldn’t look out of place at a Royal do! I love the whimsical combination of a bear like creature wearing the most feminine and delicate of clothes. One of them even has a thick, bushy tail! The hand made bear dolls are by Lieschen Mueller of Germany and cost €52 with worldwide shipping on offer. And guess what… they’re washable too so messy little hands can play away without a worry.
On the weekend while browsing Buy Modern Baby, I came across Kate Durkin and I couldn’t wait to share her goodies with you. Kate makes the loveliest nursery art and some adorable throw pillows in animal shapes. The pillows are also perfect as hug-able soft toys for babies and young kids. Her style is clean and simple which gives her goodies their huge appeal. I love all the artwork… there’s a certain softness of style and a sophistication which makes them appealing for kids and adults too. The pillows too would look equally at home on a living room sofa or in a kiddy space. I’m extremely partial to style that has no age boundaries and that’s what Kate manages to do so well. The soft toys cost from $28 and the prints from $18. Kate Durkin is based in New York but she ships worldwide from her Etsy store.
I was window shopping at Sweet William when I spotted some mushrooms. I’m not talking chestnut, shitake or enoki even but mushrooms of a kind I had never laid eyes on… these gorgeously quirky mushroom plush toys! They’re cool, quirky, whimsical and ever so unique. I decided to dig a little further and found out that these soft toys are designed and hand made in California by H-Luv. Heidi Iverson is the talent behind H-Luv and she uses materials with minimal environmental impact to create her unique wares. Also by H-Luv are other plush toys including handmade owls, russian dolls, cats and more. New York based Sweet William sell these mushrooms which cost from $42 plus $14 for International shipping.
I recently discovered Scalae who make a small collection of decorations and accessories for the kiddies. Little dolls, small objects, little decorative branches and hanging houses are amongst their goodies. Of all the pretty little things on offer I have my heart set on the hand made dolls. They’re been created using beautiful fabrics in bold and bright colours like fuchsia and turquoise. I’m loving these decorations to add a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ to a nursery space. Place them on a shelf or dangle above your baby’s cot or hang them from a door handle. The dolls come as a set of 3 in their own little bag and cost €24 from Cosy Kid Home. You might need a little help from google translate unless of course you are fluent in French.
If you like this, have a look at these charming baby nursery garlands made of clouds, moons and stars.
There’s something so appealing about natural wooden toys. It’s their simplicity and smoothness that attracts me each and every time. I’ve rounded up 7 wooden animal toys that I love. They can also double up as lovely little decorations in a nursery or play space.
1. The Cheekeyes* make fabby wooden animal playsets with just the slightest hint of colour. They’ve got different playsets on offer including a safari one, a rainforest one and this garden creatures one. Ollie & Forbes have a good selection on offer. Each set has some animals and some extras like trees and mountains and they cost £24 per set.
2. Baileys Home and Garden is a store packed with beautiful objects which include wooden animal toys. This gorgeous chubby elephant is one of their offerings and costs £18.
3. This little wooden monkey can be a playmate or just left on a shelf to be admired. I’m loving his dangly legs and arms. The wooden monkey comes from Not on the High Street and costs £10.50.
4. A natural wood teething ring in the shape of a hippo. So simple, so sweet! Easy to grasp and chew on as much as your bambino likes. This hippo teething toy comes from Little Sapling Toys on Etsy and costs $12 with international shipping available.
5. These beautiful beaky birds come in 3 sizes – small to represent children, medium to represent parents and chubby to represent grandparents (poor grandparents!). They’ve got removable heads so your kiddos can mix and match the heads with the different sized bodies. They cost between $52 and $79 depending on the size and come from the lovely American store Modernchild who ship internationally.
6. Soopsori hand make natural wood toys with good looks and they’re fun too. This cute elephant cart with dominos is a perfect example of their lovely wares. To get this wooden elephant head to Red Lilly where it costs £21.95.
7. This lovely little whale by Areaware isn’t just eye-candy. It slides open to reveal a hidden compartment where your bambino can hide his precious treasures or you can. There’s a range of animal boxes available but the whale is my favourite. I first discovered it at Oeuf NYC but they only ship in the US. For UK readers, you can get the whale at SCP where it costs just under £31.
Today’s find is one that has my heart fluttering like a butterfly. Yet again it’s French but French design seems to have that effect on me. Pigmee is what I am seriously in love with. They create these soft toys which are neither an animal nor a character; they are whatever your child wants them to be. They also make the most beautiful white cotton garlands and stunning light pendants wrapped in lace. Their offerings are so poetic, so beautiful, so magical. Imagine a room with the lace adorned pendant, I can just picture the soft light dancing around the walls. Pigmee’s creations aren’t just for kids, they’re designed with a sensibility that appeals to all. My favourite kind of creations.
Pigmee’s soft toys, garlands and pendants are all handmade. Simplicity combined with the most stunning aesthetics are at the heart of their creations. The soft toys come in white but also in beautiful limited edition prints. To indulge in more pictures and to read about what inspires Pigmee, have a look at their site. They’ve also got a list of retailers in Europe and beyond should you be unable to resist this (un-resistable) temptation.
I don’t know what it is but my radar seems to be focused on detecting the coolest soft toys around. Just last week I brought you the amazingly funky Knuffels a la Carte who have the whackiest collection of soft toys. And today I have found another fabby soft toy destination. Started by a mama, she began by making toys for her daughter. Her daughter loved them so she (thankfully) thought why not let others enjoy the toys too. And Kalimba was born. All the toys are handmade and hand sewn making them even more special.
While many of Kalimba’s goodies are yummy, it’s the handmade soft toys that are the yummiest. Quirky, funky, fun looking characters and animals are what you can expect. My favourite has got the be the hilarious acrobat chap with his stripy leg warmers! But the chubby soft toy pigs with their skinny legs are also very high up on the want list. How cute are they? All the soft toys are quite large making them perfect for hugging too. And the best news of all is that prices range from around €5 to €20. International shipping is offered too. When you check out Kalimba don’t miss the happy couple – Mr Fat and Mr Thin!
That’s what these dolls are made for, so say Sophie & Lili, their creators. I’m not the worlds biggest doll fan but when I saw these I instantly became one. They’re super cute, handmade, one of a kind dolls from America. They come in blonde, brunette or red-head and I’m so loving the back of each doll which is covered in a different funky fabric to complement the dolls dress. You can even have your name sewn on to the back, just let them know the name when you order.
These dollies are available from the Sophie & Lili website and cost $25 each plus $5 for shipping across the pond. They’re perfect as cuddly, huggable toys for toddlers and would make an oh so sweet and girly gift. They’re also available as minis and I’m thinking perfect pram buddy for a newbee.
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
