You can purchase exceptional toys and games from toy stores and hobby shops. As you walk inside a reputable toy store, you will see a lot of nicely-crafted toys and board games. Most of those items are certainly worth the figures stated on their price tags. Unfortunately, the terms “worth it” and “affordable” do not necessarily mean the same thing. Well-designed toys and popular board games are often too expensive for average budgets. Some people even consider those toys and games as luxury items for children and the childlike. It’s a good thing the world provides you with tons of good possibilities.
The Makeshift Advantage
Makeshift toys and do-it-yourself board games will give you the same amount of fun as their retail counterparts with less costs. Some toys are made of processed plastic or fabric, while boards are made with cardboard or wood. All of these raw materials are cheap and chances are, some of them are even readily-available. You can simply manipulate the shapes of these materials with your scissors, saws or cutters; then stick them together with the specific adhesive for each raw material.
You are a Makeshift Toymaker
Since toys are pretty diverse when it comes to the materials used, you should first plan out the type of toy that you will create and finalize the specifications before you go shopping for materials. You could create an outline so that the specifications of your toy are well-organized. You can also sketch an alternative design for your toy in your outline just in case some of the materials are not available.
When you have done your outline, you can go to a plastic dealer, a bookstore or a textile store to gather the raw materials for your toy.
Plastic Toys
If you are working on a plastic toy, you will need to use a cutter for shape manipulation and glue to put the parts of the toy together. You will also need paint to provide colors and designs to your toy. For plastic toys with hard-to-create shapes or patterns, you can pay a plastic molding company a visit and have your plastic molded. Do not worry about the costs because the service is usually cheap, unless you plan to create large and intricate plastic toys.
Paper/Cardboard Toys
For paper-based toys, you will need basic art materials. The standard line-up of tools for making this type of toy is a pair of scissors, glue, and coloring materials. There are also cases where you will need a sewing needle and thread to provide a strong attachment to folded paper. Think of paper toys as slightly advanced versions of the art projects that you had when you were in elementary. You simply need to fold, cut and glue paper to produce a toy.
Fabric-Based Toys
You can create dolls and other fabric-based toys, if you have a basic sewing kit, fabric and some stuffing. At first glance, dolls seem hard to create because they come dressed with colorful garments. If you look at a doll closely, you will notice that you simply need to sew and stuff the doll’s body, before creating it’s tiny clothes. Some doll dresses come with intricate patterns, which seem hard to stitch. In this case, you can use a set of crochet or knitting equipment to take care of any intricate stitching pattern. You can also use a sewing machine to make every process a whole lot faster.
You are the Chairman of the Board Game
There are two basic materials used for board games, namely wood and cardboard. Normally, cardboard-based board games are easier to create than their wooden counterparts since the creation procedures are simpler and do not require carpentry. You will have to be quite adept at painting, though, because cardboard games are entirely dependent on their colorful and intricate playing surface.
Cardboard-Based Board Games
The standard set of tools for cardboard-based board games are a cutter, a ruler, a pencil, paint and glue. You will cut the cardboard in accordance to the dimensions of your board game, then stick it to another layer of cardboard to create a strong foundation. Once done, you will need to paint the playable surface of your board game. If you are not very adept at painting pictures and figures, you can ask some of your more artistic buddies to do the painting for you. When you have completed the playable surface, glue it to the cardboard foundation to complete your board game.
Wooden Board Games
Games like chess and checkers require a lot of precision with the dimensions of their boards and their playable surfaces. You will need to assemble a good set of carpentry tools to meet the requirements of these games. Some of the tools and materials that will be used heavily are the handsaw, mechanical drill, screws, nails, wooden planer, chisel, wood glue, measuring tape and varnish. You can get these tools from a hardware store but if you want to minimize costs, you can just borrow some of the tools from your neighbors.
Wooden board games are a bit tedious to build since wood is tiring to cut, shape and connect. You will have to be precise with the measurements of the board’s components to minimize errors. In a nutshell, you need to cut the two basic components of the board (border and surface), shape them, then join them with the use of your screws, wood glue and nails.
Toys and games are your one-two punch to beat stress. A few strokes on your nice toy can ease up a lot of tension. A few rounds of board games can be your avenue for some much needed escapism. As you can see, these items provide a balance for busy lifestyles. Go and make your own toys and games now.
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