Moyupi is an intriguing new Kickstarter campaign, based in Madrid, to provide kids (and kidults) with 3D printed toys based on 2D drawings.

Moyupi are the products of your imagination. Whether you have a child, or you like to channel your inner child, the Madrid-based Kickstarter aims to give you the best gift of all — a toy created by you.

Here’s how it works. You send in a drawing of a monster. It can be crazy, scary, cute, anything you can think of. Moyupi will turn that drawing into a 3D printed, hand-painted toy made only for you. Currently, they come in 3 sizes, ranging from approximately 7 to 15 cm tall.

The toys are non-toxic, safe for children, and conform to CE requirements. Not to mention, they’re also water-proof, light, and made from durable ABS plastic. Basically, wherever your child tries to take their new friend, they should return safe and sound.

It should come as no surprise that the inspiration for Moyupi came from those the founder wants to inspire most – children. It all started when Juan Ángel Medina, an engineering student, was living with a charming family in Germany’s Black Forest region. Rather than having smartphones or tablets, the kids preferred playing outside, and using their imaginations. Specifically, they loved drawing monsters. Medina was reminded of what childhood was about.

This is when Medina’s idea snowballed; the whimsical, haphazard drawings of children would not only make for the most memorable toys, but the most important. He quickly set out to turn his idea into a reality: 3D printed dolls inspired entirely by and for children.

“Kids can draw any fantastic creature that comes into their minds,” runs the blurb on the Kickstarter page. “It can be a monster with robot arms, a ninja princess or even a double headed zombie, whatever. The more original the better!”

Caution: Moyupi Can Blow Your Mind

The first children to test out Medina’s Moyupi were his cousins, and the results were immediate. When given dolls that looked just like their drawings their minds were blown. More importantly, they had new best friends. They spent days mesmerized by their creations. Somehow, their dreams had become reality. They had created something real and lasting. Adults everywhere may be feeling exactly what Medina felt: “I wish I had this as a child.”

The folks at Moyupi work carefully to make each monster a masterpiece. All you have to do is send your drawing and they take care of the rest. In less than a week, the sketch goes through the designer, who creates a 3D model of the drawing; then, it moves to printer, who smooths and preps it for its long journey; finally, it is hand-painted and varnished to keep the colors safe. Throughout the entire process, the emphasis is on bringing the child’s (or adult’s) drawing to life. This is why everything is done by hand. Imaging, designing, smoothing, painting, even packaging.

The Moyupi project is about you and your unique style. That may be what helped it earn so many prizes and, of course, accolades with any and all children involved. Speaking with the creator, it becomes very clear that this project is a labor of love. Those involved are described as “artists who love technology or techies who love art,” and it seems to work together in perfect harmony.

They’re genuinely proud of their work and more than excited to see the happy responses of future Moyupi owners. The company also describes itself as a “social project” and has actively linked their four central mascots to associations working to help children. They are even ready to dedicate part of their earnings to these associations.

Currently, their Kickstarter goal is set at 10,000 to get production going. They’re already 31% funded, with 76 backers. If the project is funded, they aim to start shipping out the very first batch of official Moyupi monsters at the start of September. Backers pledging 30€ earn themselves a small-sized Moyupi, while 50€ are rewarded a medium, and 70€ a large.

Follow-up steps to the Moyupi project will include an app that will make it even easier to design Moyupi, as well developing more complex Moyupi models. The final frontier is creating points of sale in Spanish stores.

The Moyupi project has been in the making for over a year, and is slowly closing in on their end date: July 31st. Give their Kickstarter video a look-see and have a glimpse of what the adorable monsters are all about.