If you’ve recently been out shopping for a child, you’ve noticed a new trend – nostalgic toys. Toys that are not only made to look like the ones we grew up with, but those with a handmade touch. Take the sock monkey, for around $20 you can take this soft little critter home. But why buy him, when you can create you own plush at home? Make Your Own Toys teaches you how to make you own animals with details such as patchwork and button ‘joints’ – all with small bits of material and reclaimed fabric to make it all the more special.
Never made a stuffie? This book gives you tips and tricks on how to make your own (including the stitches needed to secure and attach limbs) and includes step-by-step instructions and drawings for each animal. All the patterns necessary to create each creature (22 in all including monkeys, bears, dogs, fish, and bunnies) are included, but require enlarging in order to achieve the appropriate dimensions. My personal favorites? The Hot Dog (a patchwork wiener dog), the Spaceman (because there is something about the faceless, little round head that makes me want to sew him up first), and the Squirrel (not just because he’s made of tweed, but because I have a fondness for him since it’s my sorority’s mascot) – they all make me want to dig through some of Easton’s old clothes to make a one-of-a-kind creation. Stay tuned, I definitely see me making one of these sometime in the near future… between Easton constantly taking this book off my bookshelf (I think he’s partial to the monkey on the cover) and the number of crafty swaps I’ve joined, I think I’ll have a good excuse to make one.