Craft supplies, beads and hobby materials

• Directive 2009/48/EC — Toy Safety for children's craft kits
• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 — CLP for resins and chemicals
• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 — REACH

Who has to appoint one

Sellers outside the Union placing craft materials on the EU market. Kits marketed for children are toys with CE marking; adult craft chemicals such as epoxy resins are classified mixtures with full CLP obligations.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Epoxy resins are sensitisers and their classification triggers poison centre notification and the UFI code.

What must appear on the label

For toys: CE marking, age marking and the Annex V warnings. For chemicals: CLP pictograms, hazard and precautionary statements, the supplier's EU details and the UFI. Small parts warnings apply to beads and findings.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces remove resin listings without CLP labelling in the images, and glitter has been affected by the REACH restriction on intentionally added microplastics.

Documentation you must hold

Safety assessment and EN 71 reports for toy kits, CLP classification file, safety data sheets and poison centre notification for chemical products, and REACH evidence including the microplastics restriction status for glitter.

Standards and testing

EN 71-3 migration for children's kits, EN 71-5 for chemical toys other than experimental sets, CLP classification for resins and adhesives, and verification against the microplastics restriction for loose glitter.

Language requirements

Warnings, hazard statements and instructions in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Before the product is made available. The microplastics restriction on loose glitter applied from October 2023.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal and fines. Loose plastic glitter placed on the market after the restriction date is unlawful, and epoxy resins without proper classification are a recurring chemical inspection finding.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance and chemicals authorities, poison centres and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Loose glitter containing synthetic polymer microparticles is restricted under REACH, which caught many craft sellers unaware. Children's craft kits with chemicals fall under EN 71-5 with its own composition limits.

Questions we are asked

Is glitter banned?

Loose glitter made of synthetic polymer microparticles has been restricted since October 2023 under the REACH microplastics restriction, with some derogations.

Do epoxy resins need a UFI?

Yes, classified mixtures require poison centre notification and the UFI on the label.