The Ultimate Pinocchio Novelty Popjects

Real Boy Pinocchio Push Pins by Duncan Shotton Design Studio

Well it’s no lie that Pinocchio is popular fodder for popjects!Pinocchio Popjects

Let’s talk about three clever designers who found a fun function for a nose that grows. Pinocchio novelty popjects above left to right: Real Boy Pinocchio Push Pins by British-born Tokyo-based designer Duncan Shotton, Pinocchio Eyeglasses Holders by Taiwanese design studio 25togo and The Honest Boy Pinocchio Pencil Sharpener by Chinese designer Mike He.

The Honest Boy Pinocchio Pencil Sharpener from Kikkerland

Mike He designed the Honest Boy Pencil Sharpener to make people smile. His brand, Pistacchi Design, is “like a comic or a cartoon, to convey the positive emotions and experiences that already existed but may not been noticed. The target of our designs are to make people relax and happy, just like opening a window for audiences and users to have a new perspective, with smile.” I love that!The Honest Boy Pinocchio Pencil Sharpener from Kikkerland

The Honest Boy Pencil Sharpener integrates its owner into the story. As you sharpen the pencil, Pinocchio’s nose shrinks “so you do know he is telling the truth!” Mike He’s Honest Boy Pinocchio Pencil Sharpener is mass-produced and distributed by Kikkerland. It’s available for $12 online here.

The Honest Boy Pinocchio Pencil Sharpener from Kikkerland

Pushing past pencils, but sticking with office supplies, we come to Duncan Shotton and his Real Boy Push Pins. Would it be brown-nosing to suggest these thumbtacks are genius?

Real Boy Pinocchio Push Pins by Duncan Shotton Design Studio

Shotton is a British designer living in Japan. His Real Boy Push Pins are injection-molded in the UK and shipped to Tokyo, where they’re then hand-painted. Prior to painting the Pinocchios, Shotton removes the flash and cleans up any excess plastic. On his Facebook page, he reveals the process and says: “This time consuming ‘Geppetto’ stage of work makes a necessary contribution to creating a high quality end product, but is a total ball-ache.” Just like Pinocchio, Shotton is honest!

Click through for more popjects, more Pinocchio and purchasing info.

Real Boy Pinocchio Push Pins by Duncan Shotton Design Studio

After being cleaned, Shotton attaches the Real Boys to balsa wood blocks and paints them in five stages: “face, legs, arms, dungarees, shoes.” At the end of December, he’d painted and packed 500 Real Boy Push Pins of an initial 1000-piece limited edition.

Real Boy Pinocchio Push Pins by Duncan Shotton Design Studio

Well, I love everything about this, so I’ll just tell you that the Real Boy Pinocchio Push Pins are available at £8.00 (~ $12.50 USD) for a hand-painted, numbered set of two, direct from Shotton in Japan online here.

Real Boy Pinocchio Push Pins by Duncan Shotton Design Studio

And finally, after a long day of sharpening pencils and pinning notes onto cork boards, you’ll need a place to rest your eyeglasses. Quoth Taiwanese designers 25togo:

Let Pinocchio support frames you tired of heavy pressure all day, with a strong nose and remind you to do the most true to yourself!

EXACTLY!

Pinocchio Eyeglasses Holder by 25togo

The Pinocchio Eyeglasses Holders are hand-carved out of beech wood by Taiwanese master craftsmen. It comes packaged in a box with 3M mounting tape and strong embedded magnets: “Wash my face, take a break and then continue to meet the challenges of re-cheer.”

Pinocchio Eyeglasses Holder by 25togo

25togo is a studio of “kidults” founded on the principle of “I just want it!” and “child-like stubbornness.” They believe that design should be fun and even funny and also “evoke the existence of Santa Claus”.

Pinocchio Eyeglasses Holder by 25togo

The Pinocchio Eyeglass Holder is priced “more artisanally” (see also) than the two prior popjects and will run you ~ $142 USD online here. “Worth every penny!” — Pinocchio

Pinocchio Eyeglasses Holder by 25togo