The toys you play with when you’re a child are always different from those your children will play with. Over the past few generations, the toys played with in general have changed immensely.There was a time though when toys were much simpler. They were hand crafted, made of carefully cut and whittled wood to last a life time and still be passed on. If you remember the wooden toys your grandparents gave you, you know that they were as tough as they came and that no simple drop from a couple stories up would destroy them like today’s plastic toys.

Why not then consider giving your children wooden toys today, those classic hand crafted toys that won’t break and offer just as much stimulation as any modern toy. It’s a great purchase, and not only will it be a mainstay in their toy box, because it won’t break in three weeks, it will be around for generations, as an heirloom, should it be kept around.

Handmade wooden toys come in all shapes and sizes, from the classic wooden train sets to the exciting cars, planes, and helicopters. Any of the high flying or fast racing vehicles your child might want can be hand cut from wood. There are dozens of different styles and models as well, toys that will not look the same as some other wooden train, and offer the choice to purchase more of them in the future. The beauty of hand crafted toys is that they are always a little different.

Wooden toys are not solely vehicles and machinery though. You can find hand crafted wooden games as well such as tic-tac-toe, or building blocks. There are toys available for children of all ages, from the youngest playing with a clacker, to your seven year old daughter playing with her hand made wooden doll cradle, to your sons staging an epic battle scene with their wooden fleet of trucks, cars, and airplanes. The joys of handmade wooden toys is that they will be around for a lifetime, forever bound by the sturdiness of their design. They are fun and entertaining, but practical as well, and best of all, not beeping and flashing at three o clock in the morning.

Rug fibers usually consist of wool in most mid to upper end rugs. High-end rugs may also have silk. Synthetic fibers such as acrylic, polyester, nylon, and olefin (polypropylene) can be found in more economical rugs. Cotton, sea grass, and sisal rugs are often moderate rugs. Your most stain resistant rugs will contain synthetic fibers, but won’t feel as soft and luxurious. All other natural fiber rugs are susceptible to staining if spots aren’t cleaned immediately.What do you look for in a rug? Quality of wool, type of dye, and knots. Simply because a rug is expensive, doesn’t mean it has good dyes or is constructed well. Make sure you know what it is and shop around first. Above all, be extra cautious about purchasing a rug outside the United States.

The quality of a wool fiber depends largely on the type of dye used. Fine wool is vegetable dyed with fruits, roots, and plants. Cheaper wools and nylons can be dyed with synthetic dyes. A rug should always be tested for colorfastness by taking a damp white cloth and gently rubbing it into the fiber. If any color transfers on the cloth, the dyes are unstable. Also look closely at the fiber to check the integrity. Make sure it isn’t unraveling. Very fine wool fibers can often look as soft as silk even to an experienced rug professional.

The construction of a rug is also a key factor. To determine if the rug is handmade, turn it upside down and look at the back. If you cannot see the pattern as clearly as on the face, the rug is not handmade. If the rug passes this first test, look at the fringe. The fringe should be an extension of the yarn inside the rug and should not look like it was sewed on separately. Many rugs that claim to be hand stitched are stitched by hand with a machine. You can expect to pay at least $500 for a small 3×4 hand made rug. Beware of rugs with cloth backings. These rugs have something to hide. The cloth is covering either flaws in a handmade rug or even worse, glue that is holding the backing together. Glued backings have a tendency to get torn when the rug is moved or cleaned.