This Maya the Bee plush was a gift for a little girl who loved the cartoon. The order came with one more wish: the girl's name, embroidered on Maya's wing. We sewed her in 2014, made to order for that one family. Nothing here waits on a shelf. You tell us what your Maya should be like, and we make her for you.
When the toy arrived, the customer wrote back that the child loved the bee and that the work was done well and on time.
A bee from a lot of childhoods
Maya started as a book. German writer Waldemar Bonsels published The Adventures of Maya the Bee in 1912, about a young bee who leaves the hive to see the world. In 1975 Japan's Nippon Animation turned it into a cartoon for German TV, and it was dubbed into dozens of languages. Plenty of people watched it for years without realizing it was an anime. Maybe you remember the theme song, or her best friend Willy, the sleepy drone, and Flip the grasshopper.
In 2012 Studio 100 brought Maya back in a computer-animated series, followed by films in 2014, 2018 and 2021. Our toy follows that newer look, with the round face and the petal-shaped hair.
What we sewed
- Bright yellow plush head with a ring of soft petal "hair"
- Big green eyes and a wide open smile
- Black antennae with little yellow pompoms on the tips
- A yellow-and-black striped body, white wings and long legs with big flat feet
- Separate fingers, and a name in red thread on one wing
Your Maya
Want the classic 1975 Maya instead, or Willy to keep her company? Send us a picture of the version your child (or you) loves. Tell us the size, the name for the wing, or any other detail. You'll see photos of the finished toy before it ships.
More characters from children's books: Winnie the Pooh and the rest of our book character plushies.
We're an independent studio. This is a handmade fan piece, not an official Studio 100 product.
For this Maya we picked fabrics that were as natural as we could get and hypoallergenic, since she was going to a small child.
- Soft yellow and black plush for the head, petal hair and striped body
- White plush wings, sewn as soft pillows so they don't poke
- Long black antennae with yellow pompom tips
- Embroidered name on the wing, in a thread colour you choose
- Premium hypoallergenic filling
If you want a sound module, poseable wire in the arms and antennae, or any fur on her (faux fur only), mention it at the start. Those go in while we sew.
A Maya the Bee plush usually takes 2–4 weeks to make.
First we draw the pattern at your size, so the big head and the thin body stay in proportion. Then come the petals of her hair, cut and stuffed one by one, the striped body, the wings and the antennae. The face comes last, since the eyes and the smile are what make her Maya.
The time frame includes a small reserve for handmade surprises. If the toy is for a birthday or another fixed date, tell us in your first message.
We ship worldwide. Delivery usually takes 7–20 business days, depending on your country and the carrier. Around the holidays couriers slow down, so allow extra time.
Most Maya plushies are gifts for kids, often for a birthday. Add the making time and delivery together and count back from the day. For Christmas, order by November 1.
Before she leaves, we send you photos of the finished toy. Then we pack her so the antennae and wings arrive in shape.
We've been sewing custom plush since 2009. A character toy with a child's name on it is a very personal thing, and we treat it that way.
You see photos of your Maya before she ships. If you still don't love her, you get a full refund within 14 days, for any reason.
Not sure which Maya to pick, the 1975 one or the newer one? Or how big she should be for a small child? Ask before we start. Getting a detail right in the pattern is much easier than fixing it later.
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Custom toys start from $350.
A bigger size or extra details can cost more.
Why?
No ready-made pattern. Your photo or drawing doesn’t come with one. Our artist builds the pattern from scratch and turns a flat picture into a 3D toy. It’s the hardest and slowest part.
Materials picked for your toy. The right color, fur length and texture. Sometimes we order fabric just for one project.
Sewn by hand. Every piece is cut, sewn, stuffed and finished by hand. The face takes the most time: move an eye a millimeter and the character changes.
You approve it first. When your toy is ready, we send you photos. Something looks off? We fix it before shipping.
One toy, not a thousand. A factory spreads design costs over thousands of copies. Here, all that work goes into one toy: yours.
That’s why prices start at $350. And on a personal order, if you don’t love your toy, you get a full refund.
