Looking at their work, I felt as if the creators had truly found the golden mean. The painting is rich in detail yet free from excess, colorful but never gaudy. The flowers fit perfectly in hand, the small animals are palm-sized, and their dolls could be real treasures passed down through generations. What does a wooden toy look like when made by fine artists? Let’s take a look!
Tell us about yourselves! How did your journey lead you to create beautiful butterflies, flowers, and dolls?
We are Rebeka and Gergely, the founders of the Bobo fairytale world. We both graduated from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts as certified wood sculptor restorers. Additionally, Geri is a carpenter, and I have been passionate about painting since childhood. We had long wished for a more significant role for free creation in our lives, and after our daughter was born, we often thought about making toys for her. Eventually, we felt the time had come to embark on new paths with our business.
Given our professional background, we already had in-depth knowledge of materials, so we started by thoroughly researching the right, certified, and regulation-compliant materials. After finding the technique that suited us best, we created our first butterfly set, but at that time, it was only a family gift. We then delved deeper into the world of handcrafted toys made from natural materials and discovered the Hungarian Toy Makers’ Community. That’s when we realized how many beautiful and high-quality handcrafted toys Hungarian small businesses were creating.
What was also heartwarming was seeing how many parents strive to surround their children with natural, eco-friendly toys. This need had been present in us from the very beginning. We felt like we had arrived in the right community, where we could create with sincerity and joy. Making children’s toys felt natural for us because we could both remain a little childlike ourselves, truly enjoying the process of designing and crafting new toys. We had countless ideas from the start—the only limitation was time. So far, we’ve only been able to bring a fraction of our visions to life, but we hope to dedicate even more time to our little wooden toy business in the future.
What technique do you use, and what type of wood do you work with?
All our products are handcrafted, from carving to painting. We use various types of wood, but they are all hardwood. We pay great attention to proper execution and use only top-quality materials. By carefully selecting the hardness and grain direction of the wood, we can create durable toys like our dragonfly, where the wings and body are made from separate pieces, ensuring both parts remain sturdy thanks to the natural grain structure.
How did you determine the size of your toys? What were the main considerations?
The butterfly and flower toys are life-sized. With this series, our goal was to achieve a lifelike appearance. We specifically selected butterflies of various sizes to add diversity. This collection has become very popular among our customers, and we have already received custom requests—for example, the azure butterfly and the dragonfly were made at a customer’s request. These received such positive feedback that they will now be part of our permanent collection.
Your butterflies and flowers require meticulous painting, with a strong focus on realism. What can you tell us about your painting process and the materials you use?
Painting, much like carving, comes naturally to us. We study photographs of real butterflies and flowers, analyzing even the smallest details before we begin the creative process. We like to maintain our artistic freedom even with custom orders, so the joy of creating is never lost. For us, this is almost a meditative activity. We are both perfectionists and love to immerse ourselves in our work. That’s why, if we ever feel that we’re not in the right mindset for carving or painting, we don’t force it—we’d rather stay up late another time when inspiration strikes.
Most of our toys are painted with acrylics, though we sometimes use wax stains, depending on the specific toy. One thing is certain: we only use tested, child-safe paints and varnishes. And, of course, our favorite tool is the fine-tipped zero-size brush!
How did magnets come into play? How difficult is it to integrate them? What do they look like in the finished products?
The idea first came when we made a butterfly set as a first-birthday gift within our family. We wanted to add a playful element that wouldn’t take away from the open-ended nature of the toy but would also introduce new possibilities for play. Our daughter, for example, loves searching around the house for places where she can stick the butterflies using the magnets—like screws on furniture and similar spots. Additionally, some butterfly-flower pairings allow the butterfly to spin beautifully on top of the flower.
With the right tools and experience, inserting the magnets is a quick process. That’s why there’s no significant price difference between our magnetic and non-magnetic butterflies and flowers—though, so far, no one has requested a non-magnetic version!
The magnets are visible on the back of the butterflies, as the material thickness didn’t allow for hidden placement. However, on the flowers, the magnets are embedded and covered, making them invisible. This way, the butterflies can be placed on top of the flowers without the magnets showing through the painted surface.
Your dolls are brilliant! Their movable hands are adorable, and their faces are charmingly lifelike. Designing such expressive features, like the nose and eyes, must be challenging. How do you finalize their appearance and hairstyle?
When we first came up with the idea for our dolls (actually, this was our very first toy concept), we planned to release two series per year, including both boy and girl dolls. However, we became so overwhelmed with butterfly orders that we only made dolls upon special request.
For custom orders, customers can specify the doll’s features in detail, such as the hairstyle and face shape. We can even take inspiration from a provided photo to create a doll resembling a specific person. We have already completed two such personalized orders. While we truly enjoy making these movable-limbed dolls, they are extremely time-consuming. Because of this, we decided to develop a new type of doll that won’t be made to order and will hopefully take less time to craft.
Can customers order crocheted clothing for the dolls, or do they need to source outfits themselves?
So far, we have made one outfit for each doll. However, since crocheting is not our primary expertise and we required considerable help from skilled family members, we plan to move away from crochet for our newly designed dolls. These dolls will come with different types of clothing.
How durable are the dolls, and what age group are they recommended for? Is there a boy version?
The first prototype, which we made for our daughter, has held up exceptionally well. She received it for her second birthday—quite early—and, truth be told, she hasn’t always treated it gently. Despite being “well-loved” (or rather, well-worn), it’s still in great condition. That said, we don’t recommend this level of rough play, so we advise a minimum age of three, though we believe they’re best suited for children aged 4–5.
The design for a boy doll was created alongside the first girl doll, but unfortunately, we never had the time to start production, and in its current form, we probably never will.
It looks like your preorder slots are full! If someone wants to order your beautiful Nativity set, is there any chance this year, or will they have to wait until next year?
Unfortunately—or rather, fortunately—we are currently booked until mid-March. We even have a March preorder for a Nativity set, so we won’t be able to produce more for Christmas this year. However, if all goes well, we will be at the Hello Market on December 8th with the Hungarian Toy Makers, where we’ll have a small selection of holiday-themed new releases. So, for those hoping to get something special before the holidays…
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