By: ANETTA NOWOSIELSKA
Make It Cute, an innovative and sustainable children’s toy brand founded by childhood best friends, is making a mark on the home décor scene. Amanda Seyfried (yes, the Hollywood actress) who, with Anne Hoehn and Maureen North, co-founded the company, shares the story behind these stylish playhouses that offer endless imaginative play for children of all ages.
AMANDA SEYFRIED: “The three of us have been best friends for over 30 years, and we all have kids around the same age. Our shared values as mothers and founders are really the driving force in making responsible choices as a business. It was a long road to get here, but I believe the love and passion we put into building these playhouses are evident as soon as they emerge from their box. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to even further give back to the planet through our partnership with EARTHDAY.ORG’s The Canopy Project. This relationship has been really important to me, and they’re an incredible organization. Not only are our playhouses made from recycled materials, but they’re also recyclable, and a tree is planted for every playhouse purchased through our partnership with EDO.”
MAUREEN NORTH: “Amanda, Anne, and I try to live by the motto of less is more, especially as it comes to toys. Creating the Make It Cute playhouse has helped us live by this motto because when you have a toy as entertaining as our playhouse, it really minimizes the need for many other toys. As soon as you bring your Make It Cute playhouse home, you’ll see how the toys you already have become ‘new’ again as kids turn the playhouse into grocery stores, car garages, and sleepover parties.”
ANNE HOEHN: “At the height of the pandemic, Maureen, Amanda, and I needed a creative outlet, so we got together to brainstorm ideas. One idea was to recreate the cardboard playhouses I had made for my kids years ago from furniture boxes. Kids obviously love playing in cardboard boxes, but I didn’t want the big, plain boxes in our main living space for any length of time. Instead, I painted one with colors I loved, glued on shingles, trim, and a roof, and turned it into a cute little house. The kids were obsessed with it, and it was so fun to watch their imaginations go wild in their tiny house (plus, I liked the look of it!). Once the three of us agreed on this idea, we didn’t look back, and with all three of us joining forces to work on it, it became so much more than I could have ever imagined.”
