Handmade toys can be tricky—or at least, that’s what I thought when Maja was little.
I have plenty of examples of toys I spent hours sewing or crocheting, feeling so proud of my work, only for Maja to completely ignore them. 🫠
At first, I figured handmade toys were destined to sit on a shelf as decorative props for “perfect” Instagram photos. I thought the only things babies would truly enjoy were plastic, colorful, noisy toys with buttons that popped out even louder, flashier characters.
That is, until one day, I accidentally created a toy that was a total hit.
Which of these do you think it was?
The one on the left took me several days to make. I crocheted it with blood, sweat, and tears, and I was SO proud of it when it was done. I made it before Maja was born and carefully placed it in her room, waiting for her to enjoy it once she arrived. It even made appearances in Instagram posts where I dreamily counted down to her arrival.
The one on the right, on the other hand, was something I threw together in half an hour, experimenting with crinkly candy wrappers for sound.
Yep, you guessed it. The quick crinkly toy was FAR superior when it came to entertaining Maja. While she barely glanced at the cuddly bunny I worked so hard on, she giggled with joy at the crinkly blanket.
She loved it so much that I posted a story on Instagram, announcing I’d finally made something Maja actually loved to play with.
“Okay, Sandra, are you saying there’s no point in sewing beautiful toys for babies?”
Not at all!
What I’m saying is that babies tend to prefer toys that crinkle and rattle over toys that are “just” beautiful. So, it’s a good idea to include some kind of crinkly or rattling element in the lovely toys you sew.
That way, it’s a win-win:
Your baby gets a toy they’ll probably love, and you get to enjoy a room filled with gorgeous handmade toys while watching your baby play with them. 🥹
In all of my toy patterns, I include tips for making them more exciting for babies by adding crinkly or rattling elements:
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Prasslis - The Rustling Baby Toy. A crinkly bunny-ear toy perfect for the littlest ones. This is my go-to “Welcome to the world” -gift, and I always hear how much babies adore it!
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The Bunny Rattle. A soft rattle with a bunny face that’s great for babies learning to grab things.
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The Soft Woodland Blocks. Soft blocks that can be made crinkly and rattly. When babies grow older, they’re perfect as stacking toys.
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Ekis - The Baby Gym Rattle. A rattling baby gym toy that can also be used by itself. The leaves can be made crinkly, doubling the fun for your baby.
The only toy in my pattern collection that doesn’t include instructions for adding crinkly or rattling elements is Snuttis - The Snuggle Bunny. It’s designed more as a soft comfort blanket for babies to sleep with. However, there’s nothing stopping you from adding a rattle to its head if you want it to double as a toy. 👀
You can find all my patterns (both for toys and other must-haves for moms and moms-to-be) in my webshop.
Happy sewing! 🧵✨
