Hiya Nancy @charlescottage I actually sell toys (playmats primarily) and I do the full EN71 testing required for UKCA (formerly CE). I also used to make soft toys from recycled fabrics back in the old days, but stopped in order to comply with the regulations - I’m very sad but it had to be done.
I can confirm what Debby @Bearlescent has said.
Anything that has “play value”, looks like a toy, or could be mistaken for a toy by a child must be tested.
This is from Folksy blog - a bit out of date in referring to CE not UKCA, but useful.
The age cut off for toys/play value is 14, but the actual tests apply differently to different toys. It sounds like you are planning on stuffing the gloves? Stuffed soft toy made from standard materials/fabrics need to be tested as safe from birth.
The over 3 age warning is very specific - it’s used for other types of toys, often with very small parts like Lego or Playmobil, or electrical components. Soft toys covers a huge range of toys - including my playmats that need to be safe from birth even though they are designed for use with these over 3 pretend-play toys.
As you have noted,there are exemptions for collector items - and as Debbie confirmed, these are differentuated by a very high price, and generally luxury materials and lots of skilled work - you can’t just say it’s a collector item and charge a lot of money to avoid testing. And to avoid doubt, it is recommended they are labeled clearly and not sold alongside products aimed at under 14s.
Another similar exclusion is ornament/decoration - but that is really hard to navigate that correctly as they are usually have much lower sale point. You would need to be able to justify why it’s an ornament, rather than just calling it one to get round the testing requirement. For example, things like stuffed keyring charms and pram danglies can also fall under toy testing if they look like cuddlies. You usually have to modify the design significently so a kid doesn’t think its a toy - suggestions often given in toy testing groups are to try unstuffed items with prominent hanging loops, or mount stuffed item on a wooden base - but the decision is yours based on your risk assessment. Again, it’s often recommended to use clear labelling - such as the positive statement “this is an ornament”, rather than the negative “this is not a toy” - and don’t sell with stuff for under 14 year olds. And see my comment at the end about safety obligations under GPSR.
You are allowed to make things and give them away without toy testing - which is how some groups knit toys for kids in hospitals, to me it’s madness as the same risks apply, but it is what it is. But as soon as even a single penny changes hands, the maker must test them.
Toy testing isn’t hard to do yourself but it takes time and a bit of money. However, it’s not practical for recycled materials because of the prohibitive cost to get fabrics tested for chemicals.
If you want any more info on toy testing and when it’s needed, give me a shout. I’m not an expert and can’t give you definitive advice (you have to make your own decision) but I can point you in the direction of a couple of groups that have a lot of collective knowledge and links to professional advice.
Finally, assuming you will be making non-toy items to sell, check out the General Product Safety Regulations - these apply to everything that is not covered by a specific regulation such as TOYs. It’s not as scary as it sounds - it just gives practical advice so your makes are safe.
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so maybe it’s a cousin of “needle and thread” Slow Stitching, but with bigger needles!!!
. I wonder which simple stitches are meant…stabbing stitch, random straight stitches lol, perhaps more like scrap crafting. It’s an interesting topic anyway and your ideas for instagram boards sound really interesting, I love creative textiles and embroidery, a subject i would have loved to have taken at college had it been available.