Eyes for Toys: Which Ones Work Best for Amigurumi?
I've come across photos online a few times of toys that had eyes with rolling pupils. Like these:
They look good from the outside, but it turns out they're not very practical. Which eyes are best for a crocheted toy?
There are sew-on eyes, glue-on eyes, and screw-in (safety) eyes.
Sew-on eyes are eyes that get sewn directly onto the toy's finished head, with or without a shank/loop. These eyes can be plastic or glass. Plastic eyes are among the most convenient and popular.
Sew-on eyes come as beads and as button-style eyes with different kinds of loops. Like these, for example:
Sew-on eyes are one of the most convenient options for finishing a crocheted toy, because you control how securely the eyes are attached and exactly where they go. They're very easy to test-fit before actually sewing them on, and if you attach them to the head incorrectly, eyes like these can easily be unpicked at any time.
Screw-in (safety) eyes are considered very safe, since the way they attach to the toy is the most secure. They're hard to detach or break. The downside of eyes like these is that you can't mark their placement with perfect precision, and they're basically impossible to reuse.
Glue-on eyes are more often used on decorative or display-only toys. Eyes like these are very pretty and interesting, but impractical for toys meant for actual play — with enough effort they come off the toy easily, or come unglued when washed or from any other kind of mechanical damage.
What kind of eyes do you use on your toys, and why?
I always try to embroider the eyes on if it's a toy meant for little kids to play with — that's obvious why.
For older kids, though, I use black beads. As for realistic-looking pupils, especially the kind you have in your first photo, I absolutely can't stand those. But then again, everyone has their own taste. The main thing is that they hold securely. :)