[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!
- Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
- Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play
- [For Elementary School Kids] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas
- [DIY] A Collection of Handmade Moving Toy Craft Ideas
- Let's make toys out of cardboard! Easy and fun handmade toys
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Ideas for a Target Shooting Game
- Easy DIY! Introducing educational toys that can be easily made with 100-yen shop items and things around the house.
- Made of paper! A fun collection of DIY toy ideas you can play with
- It's fun to spin! A collection of DIY toy ideas
- [Handmade Toys] Fun to Make! A Collection of Pull-Along Toy Ideas
- Fun for elementary school kids! A collection of craft ideas using plastic bottle caps!
- [For Kids] Today’s Handmade Craft Ideas
- [For Kids] Spins in the wind! A collection of recommended DIY pinwheel ideas
[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas (51–60)
Marble roll with a toilet paper core
This is a simple marble run you can make using toilet paper rolls.
Prepare eight toilet paper rolls.
Cut two of them in half to make two shorter pieces each.
For the remaining six rolls, make a single slit in each so they can be opened up.
Assemble these six into two vertical towers by stacking three each.
Attach the halved rolls diagonally across the openings of the towers to form slide-like chutes, and you’re done! To ensure the marble drops down properly, be careful not to glue one end of each chute completely to the tower—leave a slight gap at the end.
Decorate the toilet paper rolls by drawing on them or adding washi tape or patterned origami paper!
Marble roll with a toilet paper core
This is a simple marble run you can make using toilet paper rolls.
Prepare eight toilet paper rolls.
Cut two of them in half to make two shorter pieces each.
For the remaining six rolls, make a single slit in each so they can be opened up.
Assemble these six into two vertical towers by stacking three each.
Attach the halved rolls diagonally across the openings of the towers to form slide-like chutes, and you’re done! To ensure the marble drops down properly, be careful not to glue one end of each chute completely to the tower—leave a slight gap at the end.
Decorate the toilet paper rolls by drawing on them or adding washi tape or patterned origami paper!
Marble Rolling Tower
How about a stylish marble run, a Marble Rolling Tower, made from toilet paper cores and colored construction paper? First, stack three toilet paper cores vertically to make one long tube.
Next, let’s create the tracks where the marbles will roll using colored construction paper.
Prepare a rectangular sheet of colored paper, cut it lengthwise in half, then fold the half sheet in half two times.
Unfold the second fold, and along the crease you just made, cut a series of deep, fine slits from one edge to the other.
Once that’s done, fold it into a long, thin triangle to form the track.
Finally, attach the track diagonally to the tube like a slide, and glue a piece of cardboard to the very bottom of the tube as a base—done! Try making it with different colors of paper.
Marble run with a milk carton and paper plates
Let’s make a spiral marble run using a milk carton and paper plates! First, cut off the spout and the bottom of the milk carton and turn it into a cylinder by removing the corners.
Next, cut out the center of a paper plate to make a donut shape, snip one spot to open it up, then make several cuts from the center hole outward.
Wrap these around the milk carton to form slide-like ramps.
It’s a good idea to roll a marble from time to time as you build to check that it rolls properly.
Finally, cut off the bottom third of a paper cup, attach it under the end of the slide, and use it as the catcher—then you’re done!
Marble coaster made from drawing paper and milk cartons
Let’s try making a complex marble run using a milk carton and construction paper! First, close the opening of the milk carton to make a complete cube, then wrap it with construction paper in any color you like.
Next, use construction paper to craft detailed tracks in various shapes.
Make different kinds of paths—curves, sharp angles, and zigzags.
Once the tracks are ready, attach them to the milk-carton cube however you like, and you’re done.
There are no rules for how to build the tracks, so create an original and fun course full of personality!
Marble Climbing
When you think of a marble run, you usually imagine marbles rolling from top to bottom, but this one makes the marble go upward.
First, prepare a wooden board with many holes big enough for a marble to fall through, and combine it with other wooden boards at an angle to form a box shape.
Next, make a small box just large enough to hold a marble.
Cut holes in the front and back of this box so the marble can pass through.
Attach strings to the box so you can pull it from both sides, creating a mechanism that lifts the marble upward—then it’s complete.
If, while lifting the marble, it slips through the box’s holes and falls into one of the holes in the wooden board, you’re out.
If the marble climbs all the way to the top without falling, you win!
A floppy, cute sitting teddy bear
A seated teddy bear plushie made with faux fur has a charming combination of softness and a relaxed, floppy look.
You sew together fabric with fur and stuff it with cotton, and the way you stuff it affects how relaxed it looks in the end.
Make the parts for the face, body, arms, and legs, connect them while keeping natural transitions in mind, and attach the small parts to finish.
Pay close attention to details like the size of each part and the colors you use, and craft it with care.
A cute dog plushie made from a towel
This is about making a cute stuffed dog using an everyday face towel you can find in any household.
First, cut the towel to create two identical pieces layered together.
Make small slits in both pieces, sew them together, turn the piece right-side out, and stuff it with cotton.
Then shape the overall form with thread and attach parts like the face made from felt to finish.
By changing the towel’s color and the facial expression, you can create plushies with a variety of looks.
Crafts you can play with
In this Reiwa era, where digital devices have surrounded us since the day we were born, it’s nice to enjoy some analog play from time to time.
So here’s a summer craft you can make and play with right away: the “Wobbly Tree.” Glue a branching tree onto half of a toy capsule.
Hang rubber bands from the branches one by one, and the person who knocks the tree over loses.
If you substitute the toy capsule base with something else, you can make an even bigger tree.
There are also videos introducing other playable crafts, so if you’re interested, be sure to check them out.
Paper Cup UFO Catcher
The “Paper Cup UFO Catcher” is a popular DIY recreation idea you can enjoy with elementary school kids.
Cut eight slits into a paper cup to make tentacle-like arms, then insert a straw through the center to move it.
Place another paper cup over the top and move it up and down—this opens and closes the arms.
The moment it grabs the target is super exciting! It’s easy to make with everyday materials, yet the movement feels authentic and makes it really fun to play.
Figuring out the controls is part of the charm, and it gets even more exciting when friends compete.
It’s a recommended activity that combines the joy of crafting with the sense of achievement from a game.
