Bloomfield, NJ (June 3, 2026) – Astra Marketplace attendees will have to add another stop to their must-see route, as Bright Stripes is showing off an assortment of 44 new items available for retail order this Summer. Bright Stripes is the arts and crafts brand that has cemented a brilliant reputation with customers and stores alike in just a few years of operation. From humble beginnings in 2019, the company has since earned the enduring trust of families and kids through their high-quality art kits and beautifully whimsical branding, secured business deals with retail giants like Barnes & Noble and Nordstrom, and drafted an exciting distribution deal with European toy partners Sam & Julia’s Mouse Mansion, Viking Toys, Wheely Bug, and Find That Hippo to bring their product stateside! Company founders Sabre Mrkva and Eric von Stein would love to see Astra floor-goers come and say hi at Booth #1444 to see what’s new for Q2 2026 and beyond.
Sewing is an incredibly useful skill for everyday life or recreation time, but it can be tricky to know how to introduce children to the process. However, Bright Stripes is all about introducing kids to new forms of craft in easy, accessible and fun ways! New for 2026 is their Sew Crafty Cottage kit, an approachable and entertaining way to teach children how to sew in a hands-on way. Materials and tools are included to allow you to sew cute woodland characters in super soft fabric! Fabric patterns are pre-printed with very sweet and adorable details, like animal character expressions and clothing. Enough fabric, thread and tools are included to create two stuffed plushies, a pencil pouch, a coin purse, and more! The all-in-one keepsake box makes it easy to take breaks and come back, or store everything in one place for future projects in an organized and mess-free way!
Seasoned by its super-successful Nimble Knitter series, the company is introducing a new kit to the fold with the Nimble Knitter Flipper. This kit comes with a handy double-ended tool which allows kids to learn how to knit tubes of different diameters. The rounded core of the tool makes it easy to hold with one hand, while knitting with the other hand. Full instructions are included to create adorable balloon animal creatures! Felt stickers are included to help complete the look of your creation and bring it to life. This kit provides easy and fun knitting for beginners ages 8 and older.
Beautiful miniature décor crafted from wood may sound challenging for kids at first blush, but thanks to Bright Stripes’ DIY Curio Cottage Cabinet set, young ones can learn the fundamentals of crafting miniatures with all necessary tools at their disposal. The Curio Cottage comes with pre-cut wooden shapes, all engineered to be pieced together with slots and tabs. Handy wallpaper stickers are included to help decorate each room and give your curio cottage an identity all its own. After the cottage is built, kids can use it as a mini-curio cabinet to display their belongings in style, using a shelf they made all by themselves.
This kit is a fresh way to make, collect and display!
Bright Stripes is also ecstatic to show off a curated collection of toys at Astra from their new European partners, for whom they are acting as a US distributor!
Dutch arts and crafts toy company Sam & Julia features wonderfully intricate yet welcoming kits which allow kids to create their own little environments as part of their plush series, and highlighted for 2026 are key offerings in their impressive Complete Kit sets – a full, all-in-one set which includes everything children need to build an entire miniature space! Complete with a fold-out room, wooden furniture kit, paints and brush, decorative stickers and printouts, and miniature accessories, a fully furnished and decorated room is well within the reach of kiddos to craft. Even grown-ups will be amazed at the level of intricate detail! Popular styles include the Nursery (with miniature baby toys, kids care supplies, a toy box and toddler’s bed), Kid’s Bedroom (featuring a bunk bed, art desk, bookshelf and toys), and Grocery Store (complete with register, produce stands, restock crates and packaged goods!)
Sam & Julia also offers crafting kits for young, decorative spirits that think outside the box. Their Scene Sets include everything kiddos need to create their own miniature set pieces that they can then set up anywhere they want! Each kit comes with wooden furniture to build, paints, brush, stickers, and mini accessories, all with helpful instructions to walk kids through the process and encourage their creativity in equal measure. Some new sets for Fall 2026 include Artist at Work (complete with easel, art desk, stool, books and art supplies) and Making Cookies (a robust kitchen counter with two levels, cookbooks, baking supplies with kitchen appliances and utensils.)
Award-winning toy company Viking Toys emphasizes timeless Swedish design and high quality exemplified by their ‘Five S’ approach (safe, soft, simple, silent and strong). Their Viking Hearts Collection is a special and all-new series of vehicle toys for babies 1 year and older. With chunky aesthetics and form, crafted for little hands, each VK Hearts vehicle is crafted from 98% sugar cane and 2% wood chips from rubber tree waste, making them uniquely designed for both indoor and outdoor play. The Viking Hearts Collection spans a whole spectrum of work vehicles like tractors, dump trucks and fire trucks, all in a mixture of earthy colors with pops of bright pastels. They can be used with nature’s elements such as soil, beach sand and water, encouraging children to explore nature. Viking Toys encourages open-ended play, stimulating a child’s imagination and creativity.
For households with kids who just can’t stay away from Mom’s exercise balance ball, the best strategy is to give them exactly what they want. Find That Hippo has just the thing to quell bounce-mania: the Peanut! This sturdy, bouncy, inflatable toy (measuring at 39.4 x 19.7 x 19.7 in) is shaped like an asymmetrical peanut, providing a ton of versatility for play. The ergonomic design allows for kids to “giddyap!” and bounce around on the Peanut like a steed, or drape themselves over it to roll forward and back while reading or relaxing. Little ones can bounce, roll, and relax, all on this super-sized Peanut! The Peanut comes in pleasing, understated colors – Morning Blue and Tuscany Pink.
Any specialty retailer or media rep looking for a beat on creative toys will hit the jackpot at booth #1444. If history is any guide, Bright Stripes booth will be a delightful eyecatcher you won’t be able to resist. Come see Eric and Sabre to see the latest for Bright Stripes!
About Bright Stripes
After working in the Toy & Children’s Product world for over 25 years combined, Sabre Mrkva and Eric von Stein started their dream company, Bright Stripes, in 2018. With a shared love of all things craft and DIY, they believe in the power of creative play to empower kids to create the world they want to live in. Sabre brings her 15+ years of experience of nuts & bolts kids’ product development and a strong business analysis to every decision and design choice. Eric studied Toy Design at FIT in NYC, where he learned the ins and outs of industrial design, childhood development and toy concepts, and has been working in toys for the past 13 years. A true toy super pair! They excel at transforming inspiration into market-ready, eye-catching product packaged in dynamic, trend- right graphics. For more information and to see what’s fresh and new, visit their delightfully colorful website at https://www.brightstripes.co.