Recommended for first purchases.
Every craft family has a youngest sibling. In the Pixyls world, that is Bixyls: sticker by number made for smaller hands and shorter attention spans, with bigger stickers, simpler grids and cheerful animals instead of 19,200 tiny squares. If you have been searching for a screen-free craft for kids that does not end with glitter in the carpet, this is your guide.
Bixyls takes the same idea as our Pixyls and Vexyls kits (numbered stickers, a numbered grid, a picture that builds itself) and dials the difficulty down to a kid-friendly level. The stickers are larger, the designs are bold and simple, and a finished project comes together in a sitting or two rather than a month of evenings. No scissors, no paint, no drying time, no adult supervision required beyond "please do not eat the backing paper."
Two canvases anchor the range. The Friendly Farm Bixyls Canvas ($16 USD) is all barnyard charm, and the Ocean Paradise Bixyls Canvas ($16 USD) dives under the waves with bright fish and sea life. Both are designed so a child can follow along without frustration, and both look good enough on a bedroom wall that parents tend to hang them with real pride.
For kids who want to finish something before dinner, Bixyls Desk Friends are the answer. The Bunny Bixyls Desk Friend ($7 USD), the Digger Bixyls Desk Friend ($7 USD) and the Princess Bixyls Desk Friend ($5.25 USD) are small cardstock figures that stand up on a desk or shelf once they are done. Each one is a short project with a very satisfying payoff, which makes them ideal for a rainy afternoon or a party favour.
Our nonogram booklets are not strictly Bixyls, but they come up constantly in kid stories. One mom told us:
"My 11 years old's son really enjoys doing this book. He figured out how to do the nonograms and he is so proud of himself. The paper is thick, really crazy high quality." (Stephanie L., Space Nonograms)
And plenty of adults buy a Bixyls piece just to try it. As one customer put it after receiving a mixed bundle:
"I was able to try Pixyls, Vexyls and bixyls without committing to a big project." (Starla A.)
Peeling and placing stickers builds fine motor control, number recognition and patience, all without feeling like homework. The numbered system gives kids a clear next step at every moment, which is a gift for children who get overwhelmed by open-ended art projects with a blank page. There is also no wrong answer to worry about. Every sticker goes in exactly one place, so the picture works out in the end.
Here is the part nobody admits at the school gate: a lot of adults buy Bixyls for themselves. The designs are adorable, the projects are short, and there is something wonderfully low-stakes about a craft that asks nothing of you but a little peeling and placing. Plenty of grown-ups keep a Bixyls Desk Friend going as a ten-minute wind-down at the end of a long day.
A Bixyls Desk Friend is a perfect birthday party favour or stocking stuffer, and a canvas makes a thoughtful gift for a kid who already loves art. Browse the full range in our gifts under $30 collection to find something for every age and budget.
If you are looking for a calm, creative, mess-free activity for the kids in your life (or the kid in you), start with a Desk Friend and work up to a canvas. We ship worldwide, wherever you're crafting from. Explore the full range of sticker by number kits and find your family's next project.
One of the nicest things families tell us is that a Bixyls project becomes a small ritual. A Sunday afternoon with a Desk Friend each, a snack on the table and the radio on low. No one is racing, and no one is looking at a screen. Kids get to feel proud of a finished piece, and parents get a quiet hour that feels like proper time together. If you are shopping for a birthday, consider a pair of matching Desk Friends so two kids can build side by side.
Bixyls is designed with younger crafters in mind, with larger stickers and simpler grids. Most kids who are comfortable peeling stickers can enjoy it, and adults are very welcome to join in. Younger children will want a grown-up nearby for the first project.
Desk Friends usually take a single sitting, while the canvases are a few short sessions. That makes them far less daunting than our large Pixyls canvases.
Yes. There is no glue, paint or scissors. The only mess is the backing paper, which tends to end up in one tidy pile if you ask nicely.
