Making Memories with Homemade Toys

Several years ago, while reading Edith Schaeffer's book The Hidden Art of Homemaking, I was inspired to create some beautiful, simple, inexpensive toys for my children that would last a lifetime. I wanted to begin with a rocking horse for my two toddlers. My husband and I visited several toy stores looking for ideas from other rocking horses. The high-quality wood horses were incredibly expensive. This irritated him and consequently, fueled the fire in him to make his own! I was thrilled.

He not only designed a rocking horse, but decided that this particular one would also be able to glide while rocking. He insisted upon putting it together without any metal screws, but instead, by making wooden pegs. My husband, by the way, is not a carpenter and never attempted anything like this before but he did a great job. We had a wonderful time making it together. I designed the head and painted it. Then I added a mane by tearing out the fur hood from an old jacket and hot glued it to the headpiece. I used scrap leather for the bridle and yarn for the tail. I also added leather ears.

The children have enjoyed this toy for eleven years now. When we moved across the world we managed to take it apart and bring it to Turkey with us in a large suitcase. After the seventh year, it needed a new paint job, so our beautiful Palomino became an Indian paint horse with a yarn mane. It still sits in the children's bedroom and continues to endure abuse from rough, although well-intentioned cowboys and Indians. The tail is missing and the ears are drooping, but it is still beautiful enough to hold a place of honor in our home.


A few years later, I convinced DH to help me make a wooden doll house for our three little girls. This one took more persuasion on my part because we were now living in a high-rise apartment in Turkey with only a tiny balcony and basically NO tools.

Again, he designed and built it, but this time with some 'ho hums' and frustrated muttering. "If I only had the right tools!" But it was so pretty when finished and he was glad he took the time and trouble. I painted and decorated it with wallpaper, made little curtains from fabric scraps and pipe cleaner and used magazine pictures to place in the windows for outdoor scenes. Later, Grandma sent some wooden furniture for the rooms. Now it houses Playmobil people and accessories and is not only a beautiful addition to our home but has provided many hours of enjoyment for the children and their visiting friends. It shows no signs of falling apart and I expect it to last a good many more years.

I think these are great handicraft ideas for the whole family. Thank you, Mrs. Schaeffer. Children can help plan, paint and decorate along with Mom and Dad. You can find more ideas at Angry Chicken and from my handicraft section.

added *The toymaking fair is new to me. There are some wonderful posts over there as well. Just click on the picture at the top of this post.

one step at a time...