Made By Hands, Inc.

little hands ~ big ideas™

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        Contact:  Dena  Hirschberg

October 31, 2003                                                                                            Made By Hands, Inc.

                                                                                                                        773.281.1400

                                                                                                                        dena@made-by-hands.com        

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                 

 

 

Made By Hands™ wins 3 Coveted Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Awards

 

            (Chicago, IL) – Made By Hands, manufacturer of the innovative and delightfully fun art activity kits, announced today that three of their kits won the prestigious Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award. Make-Your-OwnTM Cards (for girls), Make-Your-OwnTM CardsII (for BOYS!) and Make-Your-OwnTM Frames each won the coveted seal.

            The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio was founded in 1989 as the only independent consumer review of children's media. Their newsletter is published quarterly and is an ad-free subscription-based periodical for parents, grandparents, libraries and childcare providers.  Publisher and co-founder, Stephanie Oppenheim says, “these handsomely crafted [Make-Your-OwnTM] kits are perfect for playdates and parent/child projects.”

            Founded by two moms, Made By HandsTM set out to create a unique art activity kit. “Our philosophy is to produce fun and innovative products that enhance what kids do naturally,” says Dena Hirschberg, co-president of the company, “and to provide it in abundance.”

            Additionally, Hirschberg and Ava Berry, the company’s other co-president, were adamant that there be no instructions. “We were tired of buying art kits that, because of limited supplies and often-times complex instructions, our kids would lose interest in within 10 minutes,” says Berry. “The best part about our kits is that children don’t have to worry about making their project look exactly like the picture on the box.”

            Whatever they are doing, retailers and customers are responding.  “Our first order sold out in a week!” relates Doug Morris, owner of Little Hands Toy Shop in Glen Ellyn and La Grange, Illinois.  “Made By Hands™ products are our #1 selling craft kits.”

            The Make-Your-OwnTM Cards and CardsII kits let kids create 20 brightly-colored greeting cards, holiday wishes, thank-you notes and invitations with over 500 Pop-Outs!TM, an awesome array of geometric & whimsical pop-out cardboard shapes. The kits also contain 20 white envelopes and a glue stick.  All this comes in a kid-friendly portable portfolio with Velcro® closures.

            The Make-Your-OwnTM Frames kit lets kids decorate wildly fun frames for their favorite photos.  It contains 10 sturdy frames in white and black textured cardboard, over 500 Pop-Outs!TM, a glue stick and even blank cardboard paper to create original artwork to frame. The kit comes in the same great box as all the Make-Your-OwnTM kits.

 

 

Made By Hands, Inc., a mom-owned company based in Chicago, Illinois, is the manufacturer of the Make-Your-Owntm line of children’s art activity kits.  These products can be found in specialty toy stores, children’s clothing boutiques, art supply stores, gift stores, stationery stores, museum stores, independent bookstores, and even spas in the US and Canada. Suggested retail price - $17.95.  For more information visit www.made-by-hands.com