Hey everyone! It's been a while since I posted, but I've still been reading and checkin out posts here.
So I've kinda got my self into a toy making fit lately. I've made 9 new reset toys in the last week, and have plans for a LOT more along with matching fleece cage sets. (Yeah I know that may be a lot for 2 cages but still I continue haha) I've ran into some hurdles. So as we see a lot, there are many dangley toys made with plastic chain with some of those little girl toy bracelets being used for rings. I have had the darndest time finding those. In the past I have bought them at Walmart or the Dollar Tree where you get 5 or more in a pack for $1. I checked Walmart, Dollar Tree, Target, and Hobby Lobby in my town and found zero. There are some online at ebay and Amazon but considerably more costly and maybe I'm cheap but I dont want to pay $4+ on something when I've bought it many times for $1. The one place I assumed wouldn't have them did and oddly enough it was my work, Herbergers department store!! I came across them yesterday and bought them out even though they were more costly. It was still cheaper than any others I found, probably because they went bankrupt and are going out of business. So I ended up buying 9 packs that had 5 bracelets and 3 necklaces each for the sale price of $2.50ish a pack. So here are some of my questions...
1. Does anyone have a place where they buy these bracelets for a reasonable price?
2. I'm wondering if I can also use the necklaces in the toys as well. They are toy dress up style that is all beads on a string. They seem to be made by melting the beads onto the string. The beads do not move and they have no clasp. There is a tiny bit of the string that shows between each bead, which is why I'm asking. I was thinking of using them but placing little plastic charms with c links between the beads to cover the string. Has anyone used these type of necklaces? Are they safe? Do you experienced owners feel my idea in using them is safe?
3. During my bracelet search I pondered ways to make bracelets/rings since I could not find them. I thought about making them with polymer clay. Is baked polymer clay safe? Could I make the rings or even other charms with this clay as long as they are baked and hardened? This stuff is used for jewelry and worn so I would think it would be safe. Especially if kids play with and wear it.
Thoughts, ideas, suggestions are greatly appreciated and welcomed :0)
I too have been making lots of toys. Since we have a new Joey, he loves bracelets. He doesn't carry them but he doesn't like them out of place either. Lol! He wants to mess them up they way he likes them.
I will try to get some toy pics in my drop box account so I can post here.
Be sure to check the plastic chain for burrs and sharp edges. File or use cuticle scissors to remove them.
In the last couple of years, quality isn't the greatest. It will cause cuts and snags on little feet.
Thanks ladies! Those sites are great, I had never been to them before and will definitely be grabbing some things.
I've taken some pics of the toys and will try and get them posted here soon. I just need to do some resizing and thats easier on pc than my ancient phone. I haven't started the matching cage sets yet, I'm still searching for the right fabrics to match the toys but hopefully I can get those goin soon as well. Now I just need a good place to store all this new stuff, perhaps a new home addition haha.
Does anyone know if the necklaces I mentioned or if baked polymer clay is ok to use?
2. I'm wondering if I can also use the necklaces in the toys as well. They are toy dress up style that is all beads on a string. They seem to be made by melting the beads onto the string. The beads do not move and they have no clasp. There is a tiny bit of the string that shows between each bead, which is why I'm asking. I was thinking of using them but placing little plastic charms with c links between the beads to cover the string. Has anyone used these type of necklaces? Are they safe? Do you experienced owners feel my idea in using them is safe?
Just from your description of the necklaces, I cannot think of any reason you cannot use them. Just check periodically for places the gliders might have chewed them as with any toys.
Karen thanks, that's awesome, glad they won't go to waste now. I'll just make sure to check them out like I do with all toys.
Also, Dawn you are so right about the burrs on the chain. I find that most chain and even some charms do have a bit of sharp edges to them. I usually just use a sharp exacto and slice off the sharp edges. It's also good when there are those long flat mold seam edges that stick out, it scrapes them right away. Like your little boy, my Smores LOVES the bracelets. She's always spinning them around and carrying them to the pouch. Many times she even pulls the ones that are connected to the toy chain into her pouch if it reaches, then the toy is pulled and slanted towards the pouch until I remove the bracelets. She's the only one that gets so much enjoyment from just the bracelets. I love watching her play!
Ok well I've spent the last 1+ hour messing with resizing photos and opening a dropbox account finally (not having much luck using it yet though) but wanted to post a few of my creations, I hope you can see the pics ok.
In the mean time, I have a few more toys completed that I haven't photographed yet and this weekend I made around 25+ other fleece pouch set items. Once those sets are done I will post those up as well.
I'd love to see what other's have made for their suggies as well.
Very nice sugarfluff! Love the styles and the sewn set is adorable! I need to try some of these as they are just so cute! Dawn, I could not open yours for some reason?
It opened Dawn! Love the monkey one but all are cute! You guys are making me feel like a very bad suggie parent! I need to order/find this stuff and get busy! What straws do you all use and where do you get them?
Thank you! They are just regular household straws. At first I used a pencil sharpener to twirl them.
Warning! Toy making is addictive!!! and gets expensive. I started out with 1 quart container full of multi colored charms, now I have 8. And they are sorted by color. I went from 40' of plastic chain to about 200'. Mini links, C-links, toy bases... OMgosh!!!
I am definitely in the market for some new toys. I have been shopping around, but am looking for something new and unusual. I am especially interested in some foraging toys that are really difficult for the critters to figure out. Mine are way too smart for me, and everything I set up, they figure out in about 2 seconds I would like something to keep them entertained for a while. I like the ideas running around in this thread. If anyone has good links where I can purchase, let me know! Unfortunately I don't have the time to experiment making my own right now, or I certainly would!
Dawn you are so right, it is rather addicitve. I have 2 large totes and 10 small plastic storage drawers filled with items to make toys, not to mention all the yards and yards of fleece I've collected as well. My goal is to make matching toy and pouch sets.
Alicat, I've made so many items so far that I may be looking into setting up an etsy shop in the next couple weeks. I love sewing and creating new things and just being crafty. It's just my thing and I have done it for many years. Needless to say I will end up with waaay to many things. If interested I can let you know when I do. I'd also be interested in hearing what kind of foraging items you've used, maybe we can come up with something even trickier.
I will definitely look for your store when you get it going. Do let me know! So far for foraging I have used the little toy treasure chests, and different arrangements of foraging cups, and hiding treats inside the plastic easter eggs. They can't seem to figure out how to open those, though. I hang the foraging cups all ways in the cage, even right in the middle where there isn't anything close, and they still get right in it. Also, I have a big, plastic margarita glass full of toys that hangs in the cage. I put treats at the very bottom under all the toys, and they still get right to it! They don't even spill the toys out, lol.
Hello alicat! Sorry it took so long to respond, I've been away for a while. It does seem you've got some pretty good foragers on your hands It took a few more weeks than expected, but I finally got my etsy shop up and going. There's only about a dozen items right now but I'm in the process of making much more to add. I've made pretty much everything my gliders have needed in the few years I've had them, various pouches and toys, cage liners, wheels and more so I hope to be able to offer all those and more in the future as well. My shop name is glidernauts and if I did this right, here's the link...