Time for Toys: Juggling Balls and Bean Bags and...?

For a long time now, I've been making bean bag sets with the leftover flannel from my wheat bags. Bean bags are great for so many things - they are a great addition to 'loose parts play', where children's imagination takes off. Right now I've got my entire stock 25% off in the clearance section - and I'm sewing up all the new ones I've got cut and ready to make. They're not the best sellers in my shop, but I like being able to offer simple fun toys, so they'll be sticking around.


A couple of year ago we introduced Circus Arts at one of the camps we run at work. Last year we took it to the next level and had kids make their own set of juggling balls, using a bin of uncleaned wheat I got by accident. (I only use cleaned wheat in my wheat bags, so I had to find a use for it!) I haven't added these to my shop, because they'd be so easy to make on your own that I didn't think there would be a market for them. BUT, if you want me to make you some, I'd be happy to! ($6) I'm not sure what shipping costs would be, but I'd find that out for you before you commit... and if you're in Regina, pick up is free. :)





There is one other toy that I've been considering making for a few months now... I've followed a maker from Australia on Instagram who makes something along these same lines, and thought I wouldn't be stepping on her toes if I made the same thing here; it's hardly the same market! I've made a couple of samples, and the next step is to source some fun fabrics. I'm going to leave it at that little teaser until I'm ready to commit and until I actually have some to sell.

If you need some toys for your kids or grandkids, or if you think learning to juggle would be the best thing you could do this summer, come visit the shop to look around or send me a message.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What's New for Alice&Victor

Image
 Welcome!! I have been posting for a couple of months now, but I'm finally ready to invite you in.  Welcome to the Alice&Victor Blog. I plan to use this space to launch new collections (like the spring plaids - those will be in the next post), to answer questions (like when should you use your wheat bag for heat therapy or for cold therapy?), and to show you some behind the scenes stuff...              I'm glad you came to check it out, and I hope before you go, you might consider signing up for the Alice&Victor email newsletter, too. That's also brand new, and I plan to use that to share any sales or new products - no more than one email a month, and I'll try to be clear in the header what the email is about so if you don't need it, you don't have to waste time opening it. The link to sign up for that is right  here  - and  the first 20 people to sign up for the email will get a special coupon for 20% off your next ord...
Read more

New Spring Plaids

Image
Historically, I have been bad at buying lots of new fabrics, taking a photo and saying "Hey, let me make you something out of these - what do you want?" Or leaving a note on my listings saying, "Ask what else I have available! and having to send to-the-minute photos everytime someone actually asks! My new goal is to yes, keep buyin lots of fabric whenever I find a good sale or fresh new options, but I'm trying to keep them secret until they are listed. (Don't hold me to that; I may post a teaser here...) On that note, here are my new spring plaids! All sewn up, listed, and ready to go! I picked my three favourite combos from what they had, and got enough for one XL Bag, one XLong Bag, two Original Size Bags, and one Kid Size Bag. The day I listed them, the purple kid size one sold, so that's gone... but all the rest are up for grabs.      The Kid Sized Bags are 9x6 inches and are perfect as cuddle buddies to tuck your kids into bed with, or to keep in the fre...
Read more

The Origin Story

Image
Wheat Bags are the anchor product of Alice&Victor. When I first made wheat bags, it was for Christmas one year. Some friends had just got married and as centerpieces had jars of wheat with a candle nestled on top; I convinced them to let me have the wheat and then spent a long time picking out dried wax from the lot! That Christmas, everyone in my family got one. And then I started dating my now husband, and his family lived on a farm - with a seed cleaning plant - so I had access to more wheat, and I kept on making them. Every teacher, coach, and piano teacher got the same gift. It was my 'decide once' gift.  Fast forward a few years, I had married that guy, had a kid, and was now in a stay at home mom season. So I opened an Etsy shop! I did craft sales, made a bunch of different products - whatever I wanted to make for myself and was interested in, I ended up mass producing to sell. Covers for camera straps, fabric coffee cozies, pencil cases and little zip pouches... it ...
Read more