Printies, which we first spotted in Media Macaroni's Toy Fair wrap-up, are "dolls" you create using printer-friendly fabric and software to go with it. Purchasing the fabric enables users to print from standard designs available on the company's website, while ponying up for a $20 "Design Studio" software allows for custom creature design, including drawing tools and image upload. Either way, the printed pieces can then be popped out along perforations, stuffed with filler and sealed without sewing.


Photo by Anton Olsen

I love the technology, but the creative crafter in me notes that a five-year-old can make a far more "personalized" doll with scraps of fabric and simple stitching (even if Mom or Dad helps with the sewing) than uploading graphics and arranging them on a template. That said, we'll be curious to try out Printies out when they're available this summer.

Printies' rightsholder (creator?), Techno Source, also manages a grab bag of other "bright idea" products, most of which don't seem so bright, with the notable exception of Pixie Hollow's Clickables, which allow users of the Disney-themed online world to (among other things) share online contact info when they meet in person, enabling them to find each other again in the virtual world.

But the product raises an interesting question about how we and our kids might view technology-aided creativity differently. Is the fact that this occurs on a computer screen worthwhile in its own right - teaching technological literacy as its own form of "craft"? Or is it just making a gimmick out of a technology that should be used in cases where we can actually make things better (in this case, more open-ended and expressive)? Amy sees a middle ground - party favors and a party activity combined.

What do you think? Would you buy these at $15 for a pack of paper and $20 for design software?