Etsy Finds: Amanda Kingloff of Parents Magazine

2008-12-17T09:03:00-05:00

Amanda Kingloff is the Lifestyle Director at Parents magazine. She edits all of the crafty content for the magazine—everything from DIY Halloween costumes to rainy day activities. Amanda also writes for Parents' Goodyblog, where she shares clever kid-friendly craft ideas from all over the blogosphere.

Get your kids started on the handmade train early—pledge to make their first holiday full of handcrafted goodies. Etsy is full of the most thoughtful baby toys—they are made with simple and safe materials from carefully treated wood to organic fibers (sans buttons, lights, or talking heads).

Your baby’s first holiday is one for the memory books. Consider buying your child (or your niece, nephew, or goddaughter) a keepsake that will always be remembered as Hannah’s first Hanukkah or Kyle’s first Christmas. Onesies and bibs are always cute for a month or so, but they will just end up covered in pureed carrots or in the hand-me-down bag.

I think you’ll find something here that will please both new parents and baby!

PS…Don’t hesitate to ask the sellers about their materials. Good qualities to look for in baby toys are solid stitching, well-applied embellishments, and no long, loose ties.

Stuffed Felt Alphabet Magnets - Upper Case Letter Set

The craftsmanship alone had me at hello. These stuffed felt letters will stay with your child for years to come. By MiChiMa, $50.

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MODERN NURSERY The Myla Belle Maple Wood Rattle Teether Key Set

I’m in that camp of people that can’t resist smooth wooden toys. I’m tempted to carry around these little keys in my pocket. By littlealouette, $20.

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Turkey Leg Baby Rattle

There is something about a baby waving a drumstick in the air that makes me giggle. By MayaBella, $10.

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Wool Chickens

This is the perfect gift for a baby of parents with a minimalist style. I love the simple shape of these chicks made from recycled sweaters. By violastudio, $38.

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Needle Felted Teddy Bear Ball

Needle felting is such an amazing technique—these rattles by Asher Jaspers are too cute to resist. By asherjasper, $15.

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orange fleece baby giraffe with polka dots

I love the simple shape and materials of this stuffed giraffe. By heypeanut, $25.

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You're a Star, personalized baby mobile

Get your kids interested in Calder before they turn 1. This sweet mobile is personalized with the letters of a child’s name. By thewonderlandstudio, $42.

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Baby on a Stick in Multi-Color Word Pattern-- A Rattle

It’s called "Baby on a Stick". Enough said. By beeperbebe, $17.

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Olikpok stuffed eskimo in sleeping bag rattle

This little swaddled Eskimo rattle is a perfect handheld toy for itty bitty fingers. By poppyseedtree, $48.

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For more articles by Amanda, check out our Handmade Kids series. And shoppers, if you support the makers of handmade toys, please read our open letter about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

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Featured Buyer: Amanda Kingloff of Parents Magazine

2008-08-06T13:38:00-05:00

We have a special Featured Buyer this week: Amanda Kingloff, Lifestyle Director at Parents magazine. She edits all of the crafty content for the magazine—everything from Halloween costumes to rainy day activities. Amanda also writes weekly for the Parents blog, GoodyBlog where she generally shares kid-friendly craft ideas. She lives in Brooklyn, NY and has a niece and nephew that serve as the perfect test market for her crafty brainstorms.

My first occupational incarnation was that of a gallery assistant (endearingly nicknamed a "gallerina"). I had gone to art school with all hopes of being a “working” artist, so I figured I’d learn the behind-the-scenes biz in order to figure out my direct path to the walls of a gallery. And now, ten years later, I am the Arts & Crafts Editor at Parents Magazine. Ok, officially, my title is Lifestyle Director, but translated, that means I develop all D.I.Y. content for the magazine. So I’d like to believe that I am, in fact, a working artist—perhaps a bit different than I had planned, but an artist at work nonetheless. I’ve made it to the printed page with the wonders of chenille stems and glitter rather than to the walls with oil paintings and photographs. And I’m happy.

Having worked in galleries (and landing that employee discount) and collected many artist friends through the years, my walls have become a personal art museum of sorts. I tend to believe that what hangs on our walls is very often (if not always) a reflection of ourselves—our aesthetic, our beliefs, and sometimes, our autobiographies. I am constantly rearranging my art—I move my bedroom pieces to the living room and I incessantly change out photos and vintage flash cards in my favorite glass-to-glass float frames.

These days, art in the age of mechanical reproduction (clearly I had to read the Walter Benjamin essay in art school) is way more affordable, and therefore can be impermanent. And no doubt, Etsy is the one-stop shop for adorable, creative, inventive, and eclectic everything—including wall décor.

I’ve curated a little exhibition, so to speak, of some fantastic stand-outs. And check it out…every piece here will fit in a 9x12-inch frame…so buy one frame (or two), and change it up! Change is good, so they say.

I love this patchwork giraffe by BoutikiHut; the patterns and colors work so unexpectedly well together.

While I’m on the collage trend, this beautiful peacock caught my eye. It is made completely of magazine clippings. All of the prints by artandphilanthropy are fashioned from recycled papers.

I totally love this idea—silhouette portraits of your children (and you, if you so choose). You can select from over twenty pre-existing designs, which can include pets, adult figures, tutus, and tree swings, or you can send a photo to lepapierdesigns for a totally custom print.

Isn’t it impossible to walk across a hopscotch board without jumping into the squares? Keep the nostalgia alive in this very cool, moody photo by buckscountyframes.

Is there a child that exists without an innate love of all things cupcake? (We at Parents magazine simply can’t get enough of them! Check out Goodyblog for proof!) How cute would this print by calobee be hanging next to the boy version?

Take advantage of the wall as disciplinarian…frame a few of these by johnwgolden to keep the kids in line.

This image by 3LambsGraphics is just so sweet, I couldn’t resist!

Here is a perfect example of how you can have artwork look and feel so handmade and original in this drawing by kikiandpolly.

So the moral of my story is to not be afraid of art or feel that every choice you make is the absolute and final one. Kids love variety and will learn and observe something new from every item you hang in their environment. Yes, hammering a nail in the wall can feel like a big commitment, but perhaps now you’re inspired to really change it up when it’s time to deck your walls.

Handmade Kids Series | Special Kids Showcase | Baby Gift Guide | Children Gift Guide

Storque articles by AmandaParentsMag

Etsy Finds: Amanda Kingloff of Parents Magazine

Featured Buyer: Amanda Kingloff of Parents Magazine