January 2011 Notable Toys — Arts & Crafts

With this make-your-own kit, a unique handbag design is only a few flowers and frills away. Kit includes: soft handbag with satin inner lining, six flowers, 4 ribbons, 3 jewels and 2 satin bow accessories. Each flower and bow has Velcro-like adhesive on back. Launch date: January 2011.

Kids can create and customize their own stickers online and print them at home with StickerYou.com's new product, Make Your Own Stickers.  Kids go on the StickerYou website, design the stickers, and print them on the special sticker paper. Using a code they will find inside their purchase, sticker-lovers can access popular licensed characters and the StickerYou's art bank of images, apply text, backgrounds and color tools, or use special effects and image upload features to create their own personalized stickers. "Stickers have been around for over 100 years, but the industry has always been about providing a readymade product,” said Andrew Witkin, president of StickerYou. “However, today’s consumer - particularly youth - expect to be able to customize their images, something they haven’t been able to do with stickers... until now.” The Make Your Own Stickers line offers consumers their choice of packs of stickers and labels in an assortment of shapes, including Make Your Own Photo Stickers and Make Your Own Sticker Albums. Launch date: June 2011

This manga-influenced art book draws on a variety of media including toys and apparel, creating a Pop-Surrealist collection that will appeal to art fans. This 112 page book is the first full sized collection of Camilla d'Errico's work, and features an introduction by artist Ashely Wood.

Each kit includes: a plush puppet body, felt to cut-out body parts, non-toxic glue, fabric puppet parts, instructions, animal facts, and puppet show ideas. The package converts to a puppet stage and the inside of the packaging is a ready-to-color stage scene, so there is no packaging waste. Children can “Simply Cut, Glue, Color, Play,” says Elaine Kollias, marketing director at Folkmanis. Consumer will need to provide their own scissors and crayons.  The Kits come in three varieties: Bunny, Cat and Frog.

Including a unique light table that illuminates every outfit, this kit helps kids create a full fashion line using acetate wardrobe pieces. Just add color, patterns, and texture. Comes complete with the fashion-forward light table, over 30 acetate wardrobe pieces, ten artist grade color pencils, and ten sheets of drawing paper.

Build your own customized checker set. These “I Built It!” checkers let you choose any of your favorite pictures and add them right into every game piece, making for a personalized game. Each game comes with 12 red and 12 black checker pieces made of durable yet lightweight plastic. These jumbo sized checker pieces are each 2 3/4 inches around, so there is plenty of room for pictures. Also included in each game are a picture sizing stencil, an instruction and idea sheet, and a 24 inch square red and black game board, This oversized game board folds down to fit in a 12 by 12 inch box.

This chess set features jumbo trading card size chess pieces so that one can customize every piece with wallet-sized photographs, trading cards, artwork, or any other images to create a personalized chess set. These jumbo sized chess pieces have a base 2 1/2 inches wide, are made of durable yet lightweight plastic, and come in the traditional colors of black and white. Also included are a picture sizing stencil, an instruction/idea sheet and a black and white game board. The game board is 23 ½ inches square, made from heavy duty cardstock that folds to fit in a 12 by 12 inch square box.

Build your own customized game of Memory Match and Tic Tac Toe that can change as often as a child's imagination. Add your favorite pictures into all 18 game pieces to play a memory matching game. The pieces are in black and white, allowing for a game of Tic Tac Toe as well. You can use photos, stickers, cut outs from magazines, or colorful crayons, glitter and glue. A sample coloring sheet is included so you can quick start your game by coloring in the matching pairs of ocean themed pictures and adding them into your game. More coloring sheets are available as free downloads on the I Built It Games website. Every game comes with 18 mixed black and white game pieces and a 20" game board. Each game piece is 2 3/4 inches around.

This new edition of Face Painting was completely refreshed, revised, and revitalized for a new generation. Klutz added more detailed directions for simple sponge and brush techniques and created tear-out cheat sheets to make painting birthday parties easier than ever. But the biggest change is the Wolfe Brothers face paints. They go on smoothly, dry quickly, last longer, and wash off easily, with bold, bright colors. The book comes with a six-color palette of face paints, a brush, a sponge, and 12 tear-out take-along design cards.
— Her Halloween 2010 crowd liked the Klutz face painting book, reported Gwen Bowden, manager of Doodlehopper for Kids in Springfield, Va.
— In a December 2011 survey about best selling Halloween products, 3 retailers said face painting kits were among their best sellers.
— Syd Clarke, owner of Ali-Cat in Carrboro, N.C., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that Face Paint from Klutz is one of their best-selling Halloween toys.

Box Creations cardboard play huts are durable recycled cardboard pieces, made in the USA, designed to be easy assemble clubhouse styles that are big enough to accommodate three small children, and come with detailed line artwork guidance and four colored non-toxic washable markers for a Do-It-Yourself personalized style.

Your budding artist can paint anytime with our Ultimate Art Smock. Long sleeves give complete coverage with a soft, comfortable interior. For home or school, this versatile smock closes with velcro in the back, for easy on and off. Fits most sized 3 - 7. "Our art smock is made from a soft cotton laminate that can be machine washed and dried," Jill Chuckas, Owner and Designer of Crafty Baby, told TDmonthly.

Available in 20 colors, create colorful paitings, sand mosaics, and sand projects. Can also serve to add extra decorative dimension to paper mache, jewelry, baskets, plaques, or other arts and crafts projects.

LI-QUA-CHÉ is a paper-fiber reinforced, polymer based compound that is air-cured, not fire hardened. Designed to be used with plaster ceramic molds, it dries to a hard, durable, break resistant product.

Air-Dry modeling material for active hands. Dense, durable, responsive and air-drying, it features fine grain for finer detail and available in white or natural terra cotta color. Carvable, paintable and light weight.

This plaster cloth is fast drying and textured to allow for fine detail and smooth work. A fast medium for mask making, jewelry, sculpture, home decor projects, model railroad scenery and props. No heat required. Designed for safe and easy use for every skill level. Quick dry microwave projects under 30 minutes, including drying time. Each roll is individually wrapped for longer life and cleaner storage.

Activa's Model N' Mold is reusable and non-toxic, with natural color and waterproof properties. This enables the creation of landscapes and models, be painted, and support water such as a river, lake, or moat. Suited for fast dimensional studies, an introductory carving material, as well as producing molds for sand casting. Mold N' Mold is special sand designed for creative use indoors or out.

What you get with your kit:  pre-treated ready to dye short sleeve tee (adult tee's are a fashion fit), Hiho Batik wax,  Batik pen, sponge brush for painting, microwaveable Hiho Batik mug, step by step instruction manual, and fun Hiho Batik stickers for inspiration.  100% Cotton.

Lift your child’s creativity to new heights with Color Blanks. Color Blanks allow your child to engage in creative fun by designing their own plastic haracters using stickers, mini markers and more. Using a blank canvas, you child can create their
character, play with it or display. This activity set features one or two collectable, poseable, plastic figures, various colorful stickers and mini markers.

Friend 2 Friend contains all the material needed to make two different styles of friendship bracelets in an infinite combination of colors and patterns. Bright embroidery floss in ten colors, glass seed beads and a beading needle are supplied, as well as instructions for how to make two different styles of bracelet: a flat band, and a round band. Kids can pick their colors, add beads, and create one of a kind accessories for all their friends.
— Four out of 44 retailers surveyed in September 2010 said friendship bracelets were a top-selling item for tweens.

You’ll find this removable, reusable elephant chalkboard especially helpful because it can migrate to wherever you need the most help remembering, without trampling the walls. If your own little calf is busy building an animal community in his or her bedroom, this particular pachyderm is the ideal addition to a herd of chalkboard animals waiting for an oversized friend who’s good at remembering birthdays and what week the circus will be in town.

The Step2 Easel for Two allows two children to draw at the same time. It's a great way to combine creative play time with socializing.  Includes two hinged easels: one with a chalkboard and one with a metal dry erase board, a paper clip on each side for drawing, painting activities or to display work, middle storage area holds art supplies for easy access from both sides, deep trays and pencil ledges keep paint, brushes, markers, chalk and erasers (not included) within easy reach.  Measures 42.5"(H) x 26.5"(W) x 22.75"(D).  No assembly required.
— As of 10.25.10, this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 182 reviews on Walmart.com and was listed as the #4 bestseller in Pretend Play.  PROS: Roomy trays, holds children's interest.  CONS:  Dry erase board may not erase.

With this kit, one can design their own stencils, and then create colorful, shaded pastel pictures. Contains black, white, and color paper, pencil, soft pastels, scissors, cotton balls, and instructions.

Add sunshine and water and see what develops. Use natural or man-made objects to make unique prints, by placing the objects on the included light-sensitive paper on bright sunlight or outside on an overcast day. Available in three different kits; each kit includes 15 sheets of paper.

Create a custom, one-of-a-kind crafts by using the included paints to personalize bowls with one's own colorful designs, favorite sayings or name. Kit includes two bowls, one bowl to paint for yourself and one to paint for a friend. Set bowl designs by baking in home oven. Ceramics are FDA approved.