Erin Freuchtel-Dearing

As a stay-at-home mom with two young children, Erin Freuchtel-Dearing’s concerns about the low level of play and imagination in many commercial toys led her to purchase a scroll saw and start making wooden toys from scratch. Her previous experience with a sewing machine made the transition to the scroll saw effortless! Erin began selling her creative, colorful, and child-safe toys on Etsy.com. Chosen from over 2000 applicants to become a part of Etsy's 25-member Second Community Council, she represents the areas of toys and woodworking. As Erin put it, “I am evidence that your typical mom with very little familiarity with power tools can learn to make simple, safe, creative, open-ended wooden toys for their children.” Her work has been featured prominently in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Parents magazine, and Lucky Kids magazine.