This kit includes a pillowcase with outlined drawings and 16 non-toxic crayons. “These all inclusive kits are fun and easy to do. There are not many more things a child takes more pride in than a project they can create themselves,” National Sales Manager Catherine Dyjak of Janlynn told TDmonthly.

Use the new pen dispenser to place the beads onto the tray, spray with water and then use the built-in fan for quick drying Bindeez designs. This deluxe set includes 800 beads, 5 templates, 2 trays, 6 stands, a sprayer bottle and an instruction booklet. Requires 2 x AA batteries.

Decked out with designs of pets, fruits, stars and flowers, this bag, measuring 14” W x 11” W x 4” D, allows kids to custom-color to their heart’s content. It is large enough to carry school books and binders, and comes with six permanent markers in a pouch. This product was named one of Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Creative Products and 100 Best Children’s Products.
— “The Color-a-Messenger Bag from Alex is a good one for us,” said Emily Bieritz, manager of My Favorite Toy Store in Downers Grove, Ill., of the strongest-selling items for girls in her store in summer 2009.
— In late 2007, 40 percent of retailers singled out Alex-Panline USA Inc. as their best-selling arts-and-crafts manufacturer. Two of 47 retailers told TDmonthly in June 2009 that the Color-a-Messenger Bag is a best-selling gift item for girls.
— Ken, working manager at Toys Unique in Dallas, Texas, told TDmonthly previously that his store does well with Alex’s Color-a-Messenger Bag, selling just under 50 per month. Explorations Inc. Owner Chuck Harper in Granger, Ind., had named this item as his store’s best-seller.

Each pre-made gift set comes with five themed charms and one snap-clasp bracelet. Gift sets are packaged in a rainbow-striped box that doubles as a keepsake with a velvet insert and magnetic closure. The box itself comes in a special gift bag. Gift set themes range from friends to birthdays to dance to licensed Disney characters, such as Disney Princesses, Hannah Montana and High School Musical.

With a little creative magic, a child can grow his or her own enchanted fairy world. The garden set includes a flower house, tiny gemstone treasures, flowers, butterflies, paint, soil and seeds that grow like magic. It also comes with a friendly fairy, a sparkling garden path and teeny, tiny toadstools.

Kids can cultivate a tiny garden wonderland in this "terra cotta" plastic planter. It comes with potting soil, seeds, paints, rocks, gravel, miniature woodland creatures and a fairy tale bark home for all the elves and gnomes who inhabit the enchanted garden. “This classic item has been in our line for many years,” Lisa Ritchie, public relations manager for Faber-Castell, told TDmonthly.

Girls can store all of their jewelry essentials inside this cleverly designed armoire, which can be decorated with decoupage, fun paper accents, sequins and sparkle glaze. The top opens to reveal a mirror, and the jewelry chest measures approximately 8-7/8” x 5.25” x 3.5”. “We wanted to develop an item that didn’t use painting,” Lisa Ritchie, public relations manager for Faber-Castell, told TDmonthly. “There’s plenty of decoupage designs in the kit, and kids can use their own images, too.” Launch date: March 2006.

This book tells a story from the perspective of a kid traveling to the Gold Rush. Full of Wild West adventure, this boook is part of the Golden Hour series, which has been praised especially for featuring African American children as its main characters. Launch date: October 2007.

The lamp’s design literally turns lighting on its side. The sturdy linen shade, supported by a brushed chrome base and pole, surrounds the light, providing a glow. The punched metal plate on the back panel allows heat to escape, and more light to shine. Available in Black/Blue, Cream/Pink, Brown/Rose and Grey/Green color schemes, the lamp stands 19” tall. The lamp is also available in a Vivid design. Launch date: June 2007.

The colorful lamp is composed of hundreds of thin optic fibers that are illuminated by multicolored phasing LEDs. The adjustable lamp measures 18’” in width and up to 45” in height — its height can be adjusted to 25”, 35” or 45”. If desired, the color of the optic fibers can be set to a constant blue. Launch date: April 2007.

Make exotic Eastern jewelry using Chinese coins, porcelain beads, seed beads, satin cord, earring hoops, elastic and beading needles. Simple instructions are included.

Anyone can make beaded jewelry using this jewelry-making kit. A beading tray, two multi-functional tools, ribbons, cords, clasps, findings, a tape measure and over 3,000 beads are among the pieces included in the jewelry case. The case comes with a handle, making it great for travel.
— Mollie Mullen, owner of Twirl in Ranchos de Taos, N.M., told TDmonthly that her store sells an average of 20 Alex kits per month.
— Playville Owner Stephanie Dupuy in Covington, La., shared that of all the arts-and-crafts lines available in her store, the “most popular is Alex Toys.”
— Twenty-four retailers named Alex-Panline USA Inc. as the leading arts-and-crafts manufacturer in their store.

Available in many animal varieties, MushABellies are soft and mushy and have grumbly tummies. The plush pillow corresponds with an interactive website for MushABellies, allowing kids of all ages to extend playtime. Each animal comes with its own grumbly sound, game card and MushABelly University student ID passcode.

Just turn the electronic rhythm sticks on and immediately start drumming. Different buttons change the sound from a snare drum to a tom tom to a crash cymbal. A rock melody can also be activated to accompany the drumming. The ends of the 13-1/2” sticks even light up with each beat. "Research shows that we're all musical, we just need the proper tools and a little friendly nudging," Shari Abbott of Professional Marketing told TDmonthly. "A wonderful assortment of nearly 100 different musical instruments from around the world, the award-winning Woodstock Music Collection makes playing music accessible to all."

This interactive game combines vinyl collectible toys with computer games to create a virtual world that kids control. There are over 40 different characters, each with his or her own look, personality, zones and games. Players can earn points and win prizes to customize and decorate their “crib” within the game. The set comes with a hub (to connect the character to the computer, two U.B. Funkeys character figures and PC software. The characters are also available individually for $4.99.

Designed to extend play with the Kubit2me Truth or Dare game, this box includes 60 new game cards featuring truth or dare challenges, as well as 35 glitter scoring bracelets. Launch date: September 2007.

This game takes personal, shocking and silly truths and tricky, crazy and outrageous dares to a whole new level. To play, two to eight players toss a soft, 6” plush cube and answer questions or perform dares listed on cards inserted into Kubit2me’s embellished denim pockets. Kubit2me is available in a choice of pink, purple, blue or green. It comes with 44 game cards and 35 glitter bracelets that players retrieve from Kubit2me’s secret compartment and wear to display their points. “Its soft, yet energized, kinetic element, combined with its fun and engaging game variations make Kubit2me a unique form of entertainment by encouraging social interaction and face-to-face communication with a physical twist,” President Mary Kay Russell of Kubit2me told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.

Budclicks are the latest rage for tech-lovers. They are clickable decorations for your earbuds. They work on both old and new earbuds made for iPods.

Each package contains eight 4.25” x 6.25” flat cards and envelopes. The following alphabet styles are available: boy, girl, dog, cat, ballet, babies, sports and animals.

Each package contains 25 personalized name announcement cards that may be dropped in an envelope with a gift or attached to a package. Requested wording, such as “A Gift from…” or “Happy Birthday from…” is also available.

The negative-ion-infused bracelets provide the benefit of negative ions, which are invisible and odorless, but believed to have positive effects on health by relieving stress, increasing blood flow and boosting energy levels. With 50 different styles, anyone can look fashionable and feel healthier and more revitalized. Launch date: January 2007.

The set includes toe separators, four bottles of nail polish, one set of nails, two rings and two nail files. All are organized neatly in a 12” easy-to-transport nail polish-shaped case. Varieties are available in pink, purple and blue. Launch date: February 2007.

The box includes eight glitter lip glosses, five tubes of lipstick, one tube of glitter lip gloss, three glitter eye shadows and a dual applicator blush. Varieties are available in pink, purple and blue. Launch date: February 2007.

This designer-set features a mannequin, sewing materials, a sketch book, yards of fabric, a swatch booklet, trims, a satin dress form, a garment bag and a design manual. Kids can decorate the dress included or create their own dream designs. “This product taps into the energy generated by television shows, such as ‘Project Runway,’ and excites tweens to try out their fashion design skills. The thoughtfulness that went into the selection of materials in the kit makes it ideal for the specialty market,” Lisa Ritchey of Faber-Castell told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2007.
— Terry Meyers, owner of Kaleidoscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, told TDmonthly that her store “sells several dozen” of this item each month.
— “They're all inclusive and that's attractive to customers because they don't need to go out and buy a whole bunch of other supplies,” said John Goehring, owner of The Toyworks in Santa Rosa, Calif., of his top-selling Creativity for Kids crafts in late 2008.
— Thirteen percent of 44 retailers listed fashion-related kits as top-selling crafts in fall 2008.

The fully functional enamel spring padlocks are accented with Austrian crystals and have a matching key charm. There are six styles of padlocks with affirmation words, and six styles with daisy designs. The padlocks can be changed and worn on a necklace, bracelet or key ring. The MSRP ranges between $3.00 and $12.99. Launch date: January 2007.