I'd been looking for a doll bed for almost a year, but lately I've been finding dolls and puppets everywhere: resting between the couch cushions, sleeping in hats, even carefully tucked in under tissues in my tissue box. So, the time had definitely come to buy Arielle a doll bed.
I looked around, but it seemed that nothing was just right. I wanted something wooden and traditional and even went driving along back roads to find an Amish woodworker, but that didn't pan out. So, I Googled it.
Three Sisters Toys has some beautiful ones. I love the bright colors of the Colorful Doll's Cradle. The bright colors are reminiscent of Haba and would certainly go very nicely with our playroom; on the other hand, while playful and bright, it would clash with our "Fairy Princess Ballerina" pinks and pastels, and at almost $60, it is an investment toy. What if it wasn't the hit, I hoped it would be? I also liked the look of the slightly less pricey Wooden Cradle with Canopy, but I worried that the lovely wooden accents would just be too tempting (and dangerous) for eleven month-old Linnea who wants to climb everything. I sat at my computer debating my options, feeling like there had to be something better.
Thank Google, I decided to search again. This time I found just what I was looking for. Scott Crumpton of naturetables.com makes simple wooden doll cradles that are finished with just beeswax. And at $35, they are an excellent deal. The cradle arrived in 4 days and my daughters were very excited when we opened the package. It is sturdy and well made and held up well when my mini-heffalump Linnea decided to try it out for herself. At 18" by 12", it fits a 14" or 16" doll with room to spare, or even two dolls that really like each other. It will last for years of play and I expect that even my grandchildren will enjoy it. The picture was taken when Mommy-Arielle decided that Linnea could have the honor of baby-sitting.
It's a wonderful toy, but hasn't quite solved all my problems. Currently, there are finger puppets napping in Linnea's shoe.
No comments:
Post a Comment