It's a tough world out there for kiddies. Generally speaking, toys are available as comforting tools that help youngins brave through the scariness of growing up.

Every year, millions of old toys go unloved, tossed to the curb only to be picked up by some trucker and strapped to the front of a Mack truck's front grill. These "franken toys" by Rachel Peters focus on the three R's: reduce, reuse and repurpose. Skip on past the break to see her "creations."

I'm still not sure whether these hand sewn and embroidered toys are "made with love," but I do agree that they are one of a kind. There's tons of freaky spliced action going on here. I'm also not sure that I'm too comfortable seeing Garfield with wheels for legs or Spiderman's head chopped off and replaced with a bird's head, fish's face and a stegosaurus' rear. Freaky doesn't even begin to describe these things.

Want one of Peters' toys? It'll cost ya from $45 for Baby Crab Cakes up to $80 for McTubby. I can see why McTubby costs the most. Who wouldn't be frightened by Ronald McDonald crossed with Tinky Winky from the Teletubbies?

Etsy, via Laughing Squid