[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas You Can Create Yourself
Kids love new toys, don’t they?
They figure out how to play, add their own twists, and discover new ways to have fun.
Here are some ideas for making handmade toys that are easy to customize and adapt!
These ideas use materials you already have at home or can pick up at a 100-yen shop, so they’re all things you can start making right away.
It’s great for adults to make them, and there are plenty of ideas kids can make themselves, too.
Original, one-of-a-kind toys become extra special—and even more fun!
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[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas (131–140)
bodkin (drawstring threader)
Let’s make a cardboard lacing activity! You’ll need cardboard, an awl, yarn in your favorite color, and chenille stems (pipe cleaners).
First, have your child draw a favorite picture on the cardboard.
Next, use the awl to punch holes along the drawing, then wrap the yarn around the end of a chenille stem—and you’re ready to go.
A key tip: bend and secure the tip of the chenille stem so it won’t poke little hands.
Tape the end of the yarn to the back so it doesn’t pull through, and enjoy lacing freely! It’s so satisfying to thread the yarn through all the holes.
Give it a try!
jack-in-the-box
How about a jack-in-the-box featuring your favorite character? You’ll need a tissue box, rubber bands, origami paper, and a printout of your favorite character.
First, cut out the rim of the box and make a slit near the center.
Fold it up to form the box.
Decorate the box with origami paper as you like.
Next, make the popping contents.
Cut a toilet paper roll into three pieces, make slits, and thread rubber bands through them.
The rubber bands will make them spring.
Attach your favorite character to these pieces.
To prevent them from popping out too soon, pack as many as you can into the box and close it gently.
As soon as it opens, the characters will spring up—just like a real jack-in-the-box! If you make one using a grandchild’s favorite anime character and give it as a gift, they’re sure to be delighted.
buzzing top
Here’s an idea for making a whirligig (spinning top) from a milk carton.
You’ll need the bottom of a milk carton, an awl, scissors, twine, a permanent marker, and tape.
First, use the awl to make two holes in the bottom of the milk carton, spaced 1 centimeter apart.
Thread the twine through the two holes and tie the ends together.
If the twine is hard to thread, put a bit of tape on the tip to make it easier.
If you color the milk carton with a permanent marker or add stickers, the spinning top will look colorful and fun when it spins! Enjoy customizing the shape and design, too!
Anpanman fan
Introducing a fun idea for an Anpanman fan featuring a cool cape that spreads out! Here’s how to make an Anpanman fan.
You’ll need origami paper, construction paper, a pencil, a wooden skewer, craft glue, a ruler, scissors, tape, colored pens, and colored pencils.
The Anpanman fan has a mechanism: when you rotate the wooden skewer, Anpanman’s cape opens up, making it look like he’s flying—so fun, right? It’ll be exciting to make together with kids, too.
Give it a try!
A pinwheel made with a clear file
Let me introduce a pinwheel that spins in the wind.
Prepare a hanger, a clear file folder, pliers, scissors, and a felt-tip pen, and let’s get started.
Cut the clear file into a square and draw lines in an X shape to create the base for the blades.
Mark the center and the four corners, then punch holes.
Following the X lines, make one slit at a time with scissors, cutting toward the center.
Lift the four cut corners one by one, align them at the center, and staple to secure—this completes the blade base.
Insert a straw as the axle and attach the blades to the center of the hanger, then secure with pliers.
Your spinning pinwheel is complete!
a spinning target
Also great for shuriken practice! Here’s an idea for a spinning target.
Hitting a target with a shuriken can be tricky, right? This is a fantastic idea for when you think, “I want to practice!” What you’ll need: two milk cartons, two bamboo skewers, a straw, construction paper, scissors, glue, a pen, an awl, and craft adhesive.
The mechanism that spins when the shuriken hits is unique and fun! If you’re making it with children, be careful when handling the awl and bamboo skewers.
Bubble art
How about trying bubble art that you can display and enjoy even after playing? First, let’s make the tool.
Cut off the mouthpiece section of a plastic bottle, then cover the cut edge with a cloth.
Next, make the bubble solution.
Mix your favorite paint with water, laundry detergent, and glue.
Once you’re ready, dip the tool into the bubble solution in the color you like, and blow toward a sheet of paper.
Beautiful patterns should appear on the paper.
Adjust the colors and your blowing technique to create a lovely piece of art.
Bubble wand
For those who want to make bubbles with a unique tool, I also recommend a bubble rod.
It’s an item where a piece of yarn is stretched between two sticks, and another piece of yarn is woven through it in a zigzag pattern.
Dip it into bubble solution and lift it up, and you can make as many bubbles as there are gaps formed between the yarns.
You can even make a slightly larger version and have two people lift it together.
It’s easy to make, so I encourage you to give it a try.
Using plenty of bubble solution makes it easier to get good results.
cardboard
If you want to easily make a spinning top using materials you have at home, how about one made from cardboard? Just cut the cardboard into long, narrow strips, apply glue, roll it up tightly from one end, and insert a toothpick into the center—super simple to make! You can finish it by coloring the cardboard or decorating it with masking tape, which would look great.
Also, making lots of them to race, or competing in games like battling tops, could be a fun way for parents and children or friends to get excited together.
Flyer
A spinning top made by combining two types of parts from flyers—its key points are that the materials are easy to get and it’s easy to make.
For the shaft, use a flyer rolled tightly into a long, thin tube.
Roll it firmly with thinness and sturdiness in mind, then cut it to a suitable length.
Next, fold another flyer to a width shorter than the cut shaft, wrap it around the shaft in coils to build up volume, and you’re done.
It’s important to add plenty of volume, so keep connecting multiple sheets of flyer, varying the width as you go.
It could also be fun to observe how changes in width affect the way it spins.
