A Child's Dream provides materials for making safe dolls and toys in compliance with CPSIA of 2008. The vast majority of supplies we offer are sourced from the USA, Europe and New Zealand and have been confirmed to be sustainably and ethically produced. Imported tools are from long-standing and reputable companies. We ask that you read our complete statement below before making specific or individual product inquiries.
CPSIA
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008
In 2008 the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was created in response to lead-tainted toys and pthalates in plastic baby bottles which were manufactured in China and sold in the United States. It states that consumer products intended for children 12 and under cannot have more than 100 parts per million of lead in any accessible part and cannot contain pthalates. These safety requirements are a key component of the CPSIA aimed at further reducing children’s exposure to these harmful substances.
You can rest assured that the natural craft supplies, children's toys and products we sell are in compliance with the CPSIA either by being inherently free of lead and/or having tested at less than 5ppm, well below the CPSIA's August 2011 limit of 100ppm. In addition, we will never sell a toy or product that has been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
All art materials (even those not intended to be primarily used by children) have been required to be labeled as to any toxic effect since 1990. The art materials we carry are labeled Conforms to D 4236, or are labeled in the European Union EG (EN71). This means they have been certified by a third party tester to be NON-TOXIC.
All natural materials such as paper, wood, cotton, silk, wool, rayon, bamboo, beeswax, straw, and many others derived directly from nature are known by science to be lead free. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recognizes this and addresses it in a public statement released on February 6, 2009.
Any wood toys we offer are made in the USA or Europe and have safe, non-toxic finishes or paints. Any soft toys are made of cotton, wool, and silk. They are not made of plastic and do not contain pthalates including DEHP, DIDP, DINP, DEHP, and Bisphenol A (BPA).
Certificates of compliance with the CPSIA have been obtained from our suppliers and are on file on the premises.
Product safety is extremely important to all of us at A Child's Dream Come True. Our family and staff use the supplies from this shop to make toys or purchase our already made treasures.
Please, if you have any concerns, address them to me at info@achildsdream.com.
Deborah Staggs
INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT SAFETY INFORMATION
Handmade Toys and Dolls for the Young
If making or giving a toy or doll to a young child, please make sure it is age appropriate and will not pose a choking or strangulation hazard. It is advised when hand making a soft doll for those under 3 years of age that facial features be embroidered or drawn on, hair yarn be left off and fabric caps be securely sewn on. If giving a wood peg doll to a child under 3, the only safe option is our Extra Large Wood Peg Doll (Female or Man). You may paint it with the paints we offer and, if desired, apply a coat of our beeswax polish to protect the wood. Any glued on embellishments or sewn clothing are not recommended as they could be pulled off and pose a hazard.
Peg Dolls, Wood Beads and Wood Craft Items
Our suppliers of wood beads, peg dolls, and other wood craft items use wood sourced from domestic and import sources due to the large inventories they maintain. While they cannot give an absolute country of origin for a particular item, to the best of their knowledge, all their sources harvest sustainably. Even though inventories and suppliers can fluctuate fairly regularly, eco-friendly sourcing is always considered when they do their purchasing.
Holland Wool Felt
100% Merino Wool. Our Holland Wool Felt is made of pure merino wool sourced from South America. The transformation of the wool fleece into wool felt takes place in Europe where the end product ships to us from Delft in the Netherlands.
Manufactured entirely in the European Union with the following EU certifications and classifications:
- Pure New Wool, certified by the "International Wool Secretariat".
- Non-Poisonous, Free of Harmful Substances, including lead, earning the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certification.
- Not flammable, conforming to UNE 23735 Class M1 (highest class).*
- Certified Cradle to Cradle (a certification awarded to products that pursue an innovative vision of ecologically-intelligent design that eliminates the concept of waste).
*100% wool felt is self-extinguishing meaning it requires a constant flame from an external source to burn. Once it is removed from the flame the felt will extinguish.
Organic Plant Dyed Wool Felt and Finger Knitting Yarn
The wool used to produce this felt is organic Bioland certified and raised cruelty free. For more information visit the Bioland homepage (you will need to enable Google Translate). The Bioland 100% wool felt is pre-mordanted with potassium alum and dyed with natural plant and insect based dyes. Translated from the Bioland website: "Those who opt for organic, say the same no to genetic engineering, factory farming, synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. For the organic-farmers and their partners, from food crafts and manufacturing operate according to strict guidelines. These go far beyond the minimum legal standard for organic food."
Nature Spun, Burly Spun, Lamb's Pride Yarns
Manufactured in the United States by Brown Sheep Yarn Company this yarn is permanently moth-proofed with a non-insecticidal called Ecolan CEA. It is added to the dye bath at the same time as the dyes and is "permanent" in the sense that it will not wash, rub, or dry clean off the wool. The treatment works as an insect resist agent by making the wool protein unpalatable to the wool moth larvae. It is biodegradable, and possesses a lower aquatic toxicity than insecticides.
Smooth Mohair Doll Hair Yarn
Certified Oeko-Tex Standard mohair. Certification of the spinning process and dyeing is in process.
Ashford of New Zealand - Corriedale, Merino and Silk Merino Fibers, Equipment, Tools and more
As quoted from the Ashford of New Zealand website:
"We buy directly from specialty sheep breeders or through a wool buyer to source the right quality fibre. From sheep farms in the South Island of New Zealand we only accept wool from ethically-produced, grass-fed sheep, free from mulesing. We select only wool with good length (free from breaks), high bulk, brightness, very low vegetable matter and within the correct micron range. New Zealand has a temperate climate so the sheep spend all year in the grassy pastures resulting in wool that is free of dust, dirt and thistles.
"After the sheep are shorn, on the farm, the wool is carefully skirted and checked. Only wool that is sound, clean with good fibre length, bulk and colour is selected. It is sent to our mill in Milton to be dyed, carded and combed.
"It is scoured (washed) by a standard aqueous treatment at 60-70 degrees, using an environmentally-friendly detergent called 6 mole. This detergent is biodegradable and breaks down quickly in the water leaving no residue. The wool is then dried and dyed. The dyes comply with the strict EU regulations and garments made from the sliver can be certified under the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. This standard is the most widely known standard for certification of ecologically-safe clothing. (Detailed information can be found at www.oekotex.com). The fibre is then gently opened and conditioned. Carding machines align the fibres and remove any foreign matter. It is then gilled and combed."
Their entire quality assurance statement and more information can be found here on Ashford's Consumer Information page and here on their Woollen Mill page.
Art Supplies
Our art supplies are AP certified non-toxic and conform to the standard ASTM D 4236.
Other Products
Safety information for products not listed here are addressed in the above statement or may be found on the product's page.