A bit about our toys.

In honour of Father's Day, I'm going to talk today about the work Chris does. :)

In the past we bought as many plastic toys as anyone else. But several years ago, we wanted to shift towards giving our children fewer, better quality toys, instead of having a lot of cheap toys lying around. Wood is perfect for this because it's natural, biodegradable, warm to the touch, sturdy, and usually wooden toys are simple and tend to allow more room for imagination.

We did purchase some cute wooden toys, but eventually Chris decided to start making some of his own. He was new to woodworking, but quickly fell in love with it, and through trial and error, taught himself how to become skilled at making wooden toys. I'm really quite proud of the way this man can teach himself new things without a bit of help if he is determined. 

 

He rented tables at a few craft shows, but there didn't seem to be too much interest in those venues, so a little over a year ago we opened our Etsy shop , calling it The Wood Garden. (I know, the name is a bit cheesy, but we wanted something simple and easy to remember.) Chris makes the toys (of course) and I run the shop and do all the computer stuff. We've been able to sell many more toys through Etsy than at craft shows, because people from all over the world shop at Etsy for handmade items. As of today we've sold 570 toys directly to customers through Etsy, and many wholesale clients found us there as well.

Sadly, we've found that it isn't really possible these days to make a living from selling crafted items, since it's so difficult to compete with all the inexpensive mass-produced stuff out there. Even wooden toys are massed produced today, and so people are understandably unwilling to pay higher prices for something similar but handmade. We hope that someday, when (knock on wood) we have a homestead, heat with wood, and grow a lot of our own food, we'll be able to make a living from Chris's woodworking alone. Right now though, when we have high expenses, renting a house in the city, and heating with electricity, it isn't enough, and Chris has to take other jobs on the side--he works very hard to support our family. :)

But, even if it isn't paying the bills on its own, we enjoy running this business. We like thinking that in a very small way we are making the world a better place by offering people a choice--simple wooden toys over plastic toys that will remain forever in a landfill. It's so rewarding to get positive feedback from a customer whose baby loves one of our toys. And on top of all that, it just feels right to have a family business that the children can help out with as they get older. 

Happy Father's Day to all the hard working daddies out there!

Comments

[Homesteadgirl]

Those toys are GORGEOUS. I'll remember you when there's a baby needing a gift! I hear you...I dream of staying home, homeschooling, and making a living knitting. But I teach to pay the mortgage (and I love it too!) I'd love to feature you on my blog! Email me at keonrose@hotmail.com to discuss! (please?)
We're slowly making the move away from crappy plastic toys...so I'll check out your shop! The hardest age is 5...my son likes superheroes and building...it's a challenge to find "natural" toys that appeal to him.
The hardest PART of making the shift is kindly asking grandparents to LAY off the Disney stuff!!

[Leila]

Your toys are lovely. Your husband is so talented! I don't think they are so pricey, and I've bookmarked the page for later!

We bought a handmade truck for our son about 28 years ago at a crafts fair, and it's still going strong (we went on to have 6 more children, so it got a workout!). I can't really remember, but the price was in the range of your toys, which tells you something.

God bless you!

[Lindsay]

I, for one, LOVE your husband's toys. We purchased ours from ShopEco - a rattle, an airplane, and a little spinning top. They are favourites around here. As my children have grown, the rattle made it's way from the basket of baby toys to the bucket of percussion instruments and is now declared to be a "tiny maraca".

[Laura Jeanne]

A "tiny maraca," that's so cute! I told Chris you said that and he really got a kick out of it. :)

[Laura Jeanne]

Thank you for the compliments, Leila! Actually when I said it was hard to make a living on with handmade crafts, I meant that with the prices we have right now, very little profit can be made, since each toy takes a long time to make. To be able to make a reasonable wage for hours Chris works, we'd have to charge much higher prices! I guess I didn't explain that very well. :)

[Sandra]

Your husband's toys are incredible; I just love the work of his hands and heart. Hope you don't mind, but I blogged about them earlier today; hope you get some sales from it. Nope, we don't know each other but I wanted to say, "well done!"
Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm
www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com

[Laura Jeanne]

Thanks so much Sandra, you're very kind! :)