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Finding Peace Through The Joyful Art of Toymaking

“You Time”

You sat down with a sigh, relief flooding your body. It had been such a long week.

There were still things on your list of things to do, but miraculously, you had somehow managed to cross off all of the urgent tasks. You shake your head as though that act could toss the pressing insistence of responsibility from your thoughts, even briefly. “I’ll attend to you,” you whisper to the clamoring thoughts of chores and budgets demanding your attention. “But first,” you smile, firmly putting the thoughts in their place, “I’m taking a little ‘me’ time.”

How To Make Toys: Grandma Makes Special Toy Gifts For Her Grandchildren
The Therapy

Reaching out, you touch the half-finished toys on the table. Throughout the week, you had been able to sneak a moment here or there to work on them, loving the pops of color that they were starting to take on. Something about the meditative and happy work made you breathe easier, and you were starting to crave these precious moments of toymaking.

Last night, all you had managed to get done was to prep the silkscreens, but that was all right. It meant that tonight you could jump straight into your favorite part.

Applying the silk screens was simple. You liked how the guidelines made it easy to make sure that each letter was centered and straight. Taking your squeegee, you dip into the odorless toy-safe paint. You have mixed the color yourself, and its brightness perks you up. It goes on smoothly, creamier than soft butter. It had taken only moments for you to perfect the technique, carefully scraping off the excess paint until it was smooth.

Pulling off the stencil always makes you catch your breath. 98% of the time, the resulting image was pristine. Seeing the perfect letter would release tension in your back, and you could feel the air escaping through your lips, not realizing you had been holding your breath. You cannot help but feel proud every time it works.

How To Make Toys: Grandma Makes Special Toy Gifts For Her Grandchildren With Toy-Safe Paint
Peace Even in Mistakes

Sometimes, though rarely, the image after the pull wasn’t perfect. Perhaps you pressed too hard and squished paint under the edge. Or the dried toy-safe paint underneath was uneven, making the paint from the stencil bleed around the gaps. Once, you had rushed to use a wet stencil

before waiting for it to dry and gasped when you saw the puddle of paint it created. You hadn’t made that mistake again, but a quick swipe with a damp paper towel had wiped the puddle away completely. That incident, ironically, was one of the reasons you were starting to fall in love with toymaking. Mistakes were so easy to fix. It made you feel like all the other things going wrong in your life might also be fixable. But this time, your pull is perfect, and you smile as you see the result, feeling the air rush from your lungs. Setting it down next to its partners, you read the phrase you had slowly written to yourself all week. You settle back in your chair, feeling deeply satisfied.

“You Got This.”

Life is full of challenges. The ups and downs of your many responsibilities can be wearing, leaving you feeling thin and worn. Recent studies have indicated that it is of vital importance to our mental, emotional, and physical well-being to take a break to breathe, be creative, and rest! Those times for rest are some of the most valuable and healthy parts of your day as you rejuvenate your mind, spirit, and body. A rested mind can think more clearly and work more efficiently, making it easier for you to tackle the many mountains you need to climb.

Art Therapy

One form of self-care that is often overlooked, but can be incredibly rewarding, is making something with your hands. Art therapy, a form of psychotherapy, uses creative expression to promote healing and well-being and has become an increasingly popular way to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It is increasingly recognized as a valid and effective treatment for various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 

There are many types of art therapy, but one, in particular, explodes with benefits for yourself, your loved ones, and the environment. And that is the joyful art of toymaking!

The Joy in Toymaking

The peace and joy that are found in toymaking have deep roots. There is a reason that Santa Claus is so jolly and that Geppetto, Pinocchio’s father, left a legacy as a kind, loving and gentle soul. These famous toymakers’ skill and generosity brought them deep peace and joy as they brought laughter, learning, and playtime to children worldwide. 

Historically, the joy of toymaking has been reserved only for the knowledgeable, trained, and skilled. Making playable toys took thousands of dollars in tools and supplies and years of research, training, and practice. But now, with BridgeWood Toymaker Kits, anyone can easily and safely make gorgeous and playable toys for little ones. The joy of toymakers worldwide is now something you can experience and enjoy!

Making eco-friendly wooden toys is a DELIGHTFUL way to relax. There is something deeply satisfying about creating something from scratch. This is particularly true when it comes to making beautiful toys that will bring small children joy while also fostering their love for learning. Toymaking provides a wonderful outlet for your creativity, but it also offers numerous benefits for both the maker and the recipient. How? In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of self-care and art therapy through the lens of toymaking.

You will love the joy you get in knowing you brought something good and beautiful into the world!

There are almost too many benefits to making wooden toys to describe! And all of them are within your grasp with a BridgeWood Toymaker Kit.

Take some time to rest and feel rejuvenated. Take some time to fall in love with GIVING something good, beautiful, and wholesome to another person. Take time to get to know yourself and be surprised and delighted by the beautiful things you can create.

Making wooden toys won’t solve all of your problems. But they are an excellent and HAPPY way to rediscover the beauty and wonder in this difficult world.

Learn more about how you can easily create beautiful toys in our Shop!

Bridgewood Heirloom Toys: Alphabet Classic Wooden Block Love Letter Rainbow Prisms

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