Step Thirteen: Sealing The Last Four Sides
Your Love Letters Toys are almost done; the last step is to seal them, preserving them for future generations of your loved ones to enjoy!
If you have already sealed the star sides of your toys, you only have the last four sides to seal.
Supply List
1
A Little Bit Of Sealer
Take your foam applicator or perfect brush. Lightly dip it into the sealer and brush on the last four sides of the block.
Make sure to cover the entire surface of each of the four sides.
And check to make sure there aren’t any clear drips running down any of the sides.
2
Place On A Star To Dry
When finished, place the block on a star side to dry. Then continue to seal the other blocks.
When you have finished with the first coat on the entire set, the thin coat on your first block should be dry. Go ahead and finish applying the second coat.
When you are finished sealing your toys, thoroughly wash and dry your brush. You can reuse your tools to make more toys if they are cleaned and stored correctly.
When making playable toys, only use your brushes with BridgeWood paint products as other paints or mediums might not be safe for children. But these are high quality tools and if you have another project, go ahead and use these wonderful brushes and tools! But be aware that if you use your tools with paints or art product that are not from BridgeWood, they should not be used again to make toys as their safety can no longer be guaranteed.
3
Cure for 72 hours
Let your toys cure for at least 72 hours before gift wrapping or playing.
Even though they might feel dry to the touch, the under-layers might still be damp. They could get stuck together or get glued to the wrapping paper if they are not given the proper time to dry!
If you cannot wait to gift your toys, then wrap each individual toy in a plastic sandwich bag or cut strips of a heavy plastic gallon freezer bag. The plastic will help to prevent them from sticking to each other or wrapping paper. But the plastic will also prevent them from drying properly. Once removed from the plastic, take the extra precaution of continuing to set them a fingerwidth apart and let them air dry for 72 hours.
If children want to play with the toys once they are dry to the touch, it is up to you if you want to let them!
We’ll be honest. We had allowed our children to play with our Made-With-Love before the 72-hour curing time was up. But it is a risk! Once, the toys got stuck together after being stacked next to each other while still curing. We were able to pull them apart, but there was a little bit of paint transfer.
4
Share Your Toys
We would LOVE to see your toys! Head to the BridgeWood Toymakers Facebook Group to share photos of your toys!
Toymakers come up with many patterns and ideas we would never have thought of creating. It is so fun to see all of the unique and beautiful designs! When you share, you can inspire others! And you could inspire with much more than just your beautiful toys.
Inspire us by sharing your story of your love for your little ones. We want to hear it!
You have great love. Let us help you share it.
Congratulations, Toymaker!
But here we are. You are now a TRUE toymaker. You have made beautiful toys, with every moment spent on them an act of love for your tiny ones. No act of love is ever wasted, and you, through your love, have created something MUCH more beautiful than these gorgeous toys.
Go. Enjoy. Laugh. Love. And Play.