Handcrafted Wooden Toys

This is one niche that has almost become more underground than the latest music movement. Handcrafted wooden toys are definitely still alive in the world and here’s why: 

• Value - they add aesthetic value to any place you put them. Handcrafted wooden toys look good on the mantle, coffee table, office desk or even in the kitchen. They really say something about your lifestyle and your preference for things that are “classic”. The fact that you made them yourself adds to that and definitely makes for an interesting conversation piece, unless you keep going on and on about it like I do.
  
• Legacy - Well constructed, handcrafted wood toys can be passed down from generation to generation. The value of a small wooden truck or simple doll transcends the latest and greatest stuffed animal. The value- or “toy cred” as we like to call it at the North Pole, increases as time goes by. So something you made for your child becomes something their child’s grandparent made and so on.

• Durability - Unlike the plastic toys of today that are more or less built to break, wooden toys are built to last. Basically, you have a chunk of wood that’s been shaped to look like something else, but it’s still a chunk of wood under it all. Wood has more give than plastic and is more forgiving than plastic when it comes to being dropped. Also, unlike plastic toys, wood can have the paint touched up a bit and be placed on the shelf or mantle when your child outgrows the toy. You could do that with Stretch Armstrong if you wanted to. Personally, I have an Elmo head mounted in my den.

• Customization - Another great thing about handcrafted wooden toys is the ability to customize on a level that store-bought toys cannot possibly compete with. This could be something as simple as a paintjob on a car to reflect someone’s favorite NASCAR driver to the color of a doll’s hair, really the possibilities are endless.
  

As gifts to other adults, handcrafted wooden toys are treasured and often secretly played with. Again, it’s more than just the thought put into making that perfect gift, but the time and effort. Very few things made on sweat equity have the emotional and profound affect that a well crafted wooden toy does.

The fun doesn’t have to end with toys either. Handcrafted wooden games are always a blast. There are many kits available for the would-be puzzle master. It is suggested that you try a few first to get a feel for the technique and form before you start from scratch. What is the value of a puzzle? Picture your game on the coffee table and your know-it-all brother in-law smugly picking up your puzzle to solve it. That’s revenge at its most subtle and sweetest my friend.

Whether you’re an experienced woodcrafter or completely new to the hobby, hand crafted wooden toys offer a relaxing break and the convenience of being able to work anywhere you desire.

They are a personal touch to friends, family and children that will never be outdone by anything that technology or industry has to offer. What’s more, they’re way better than the average macaroni necklace, which though also handmade, just lack the “oomph” we’re looking for here.