Hello and welcome!
You’ve found more than a stuffed animal. You’ve found a community. This is our story.
It started with a simple idea: make classic toys by hand that inspire joy.
I’d moved to Turkey from USA. Far from home, I’d recently become a mother and was struggling to find simple, huggable dolls for my kids. The ones I could get were created with little care for their impact on the world or the people who made them.
I was lucky enough to meet a group of talented crocheters in the outskirts of Istanbul, all mothers. I designed our first line of ten dolls and we filled a studio with laughter and cheer. Day after day, we told each other stories while crocheting and watching over our children. HMDolls was born.
We welcomed refugees from Syria, Iran and Afghanistan, new to Istanbul and mothers and daughters all, with dignified work to support their families. Everyone received a fair trade wage and the freedom to create their own schedules.
As our company grew, we found organic, sustainably manufactured yarn soft enough for sensitive newborn skin and hypoallergenic filling made from recycled water bottles, so that we could leave a better world for the next generation. We created new characters and designs so that each child could have something that spoke to their own unique experience.
And pretty soon, we were shipping our dolls around the world!
We hope that you and your young ones enjoy our toys as much as we enjoy making them. Thank you for being a member of the HMDolls family.
Warmly,
AE
Our toys are crocheted entirely by hand, using organic cotton yarn and stuffing from recycled bottles.
We employ over 20 women-in-need, including refugees and impoverished women in the Istanbul metro area. We pay fair trade wages; lifting families out of poverty. Learn more about our impact
Hand-crocheted from hug-ready organic cotton yarn, our toys are designed to be easily recognizable for imaginative play (and even easier to clean!). We use sustainably sourced hypoallergenic polyfill stuffing made from recycled bottles. Each toy undergoes rigorous testing and meets safety.
