{"id":2,"date":"2025-11-17T03:52:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T03:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rustystoyworkshop.co.nz\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:32:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T20:32:01","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rustystoyworkshop.co.nz\/","title":{"rendered":"Rusty’s Toy Workshop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Made by hand. Made to Last.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Handcrafted wooden toys from the Wairarapa \u2014 made one at a time, for the love of it.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every piece here started as a length of timber and ended up as something a child will keep for years. No factory. No online shop. Just Rusty, his workshop, and whatever wood caught his eye that week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See the gallery<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Find me at a fair<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The toys<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Each one is a little different \u2014 because they’re made by hand, one at a time. None of these are for sale online. Come find Rusty at a fair, or give him a call or email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Block
Block truck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Dumptruck,
Dump truck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Trucks
Truck & Trailer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Trolleys,
Push trolleys<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Tanks,
Tanks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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About Rusty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a long career doing other things, retirement gave Rusty something he’d always wanted: time in the shed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop is in Carterton, and most mornings you’ll find him in there by nine, radio on, figuring out what a particular piece of timber wants to become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He doesn’t make toys to sell online. He makes them because he loves it \u2014 and because watching a child pick one up at a market stall and not want to put it down is a better kind of payment than a bank transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every toy leaves the workshop sanded smooth, finished with a food-safe oil, and checked to make sure small hands can’t come to grief on it. Rusty’s got grandchildren. He knows what matters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Natural wood. Safe finishes.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rusty works with rimu, macrocarpa, pine and much more, sourcing locally where he can. No MDF. No plywood fillers. No formaldehyde binders. The stuff he makes will outlast most furniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every toy is finished with a food-safe oil or beeswax. Paint, when it’s used, is non-toxic and water-based. Relevant \u2014 because small children will absolutely put these in their mouths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal is simple: something you’d hand to a two-year-old without a second thought, and something their parents will still have in twenty years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Where to find me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rusty doesn’t sell online \u2014 but you can find him at craft fairs and markets around the Wairarapa through the year. Come and have a look, have a yarn, and take something home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wairarapa Garden Fiesta<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Garden Fiesta is held at the Wairarapa A&P Show Grounds in Carterton yearly. For more information, head along to the event’s Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wairarapa A&P Show<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wairarapa A&P Show Grounds in Clareville just outside of Carterton. This event is usually in October or November every year. For more information, see the official Wairarapa A&P Show website<\/a> for more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studio 73 Greytown<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rusty will regularly be at Studio 73 in Greytown during their weekend markets. This will be updated from time-to-time on Rusty’s Facebook page and on the website. Confirmed dates for 2026 are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An
An external photo of the craft market at Studio 73 in Greytown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n