MASTERCLASS
Cuteness OVERLOAD!
Our toy-making expert Corinne Bradd is here to share her 10 top tips for sewing your own heirloom toys!
Corinne Bradd
McCall’s 8547
MAKE IT SAFE
If you’re making toys commercially there are general safety requirements to adhere to. It is worth checking the gov. uk website for the full rundown of your obligations as breaching these could result in a hefty fine. Many people feel they can get round this by marking their product ‘For display purposes only. Not to be used as a toy’, but that’s not really the point. You need to ensure your toy, whether you sell it or give it as a gift, will not harm the recipient.
As a rule of thumb, anything that can slip down inside a toilet roll tube could be a choking hazard for a child. Don’t be tempted to use buttons for eyes or jointing, instead use the proper safety fittings. Don’t add embellishments like beads or pompoms ms that could easily come off with use. Don’t use potentially harmful paints to decorate. Make sure the filling is fire retardant and avoid weighted pellets in the ends of limbs. Please don’t let yourself be put off by this list of ‘don’ts’, instead look at ways you can make your toy safely.
TOYS DON’T HAVE TO BE CUDDLY
If you play with it, it’s a toy. It doesn’t have to be a stuffed animal that sits on the bed for most of its life. If you want to make something that doesn’t have to look ‘cute’ there are plenty of other options out there.
Table Tents are brilliant for family homes that don’t have a lot of free space. Measure the table, sew together rectangles of upholstery weight fabric to make the top and sides. Cut out doors and windows, add curtains, tie-backs and pockets. Decorate the insides and leave the outside plain if the table needs to just look like a table during mealtimes. Or decorate the outside to look like a shop, cottage, garage, anything you like!
Padded play mats can be appliquéd to look like roadways, paths and rivers. Sew on pompom bushes and embroider flowers. Make simple box houses and cone-shaped trees. If you make several mats, each about 12” square, they can be rearranged on the floor to create different layouts each time.
Quiet books, dollhouse bags, and fabric food are all timeless favourites that will be played with regularly.