The last time we checked, there were 214,339 items listed under the "Children" category on Etsy.com. We have our favorites (see below), but seriously: who has the time to sift through? Not us. So we asked Etsy shop owner and design blogger Abbey Nova for some tips on weeding through the rubbish.

• If you like a store, "add seller to favorites," then surf the other people who have marked that seller as a favorite and see who their other favorite Etsy sellers are. The premise being, of course, that somehow you'll share the same taste.

• Browse the Editors' Picks blog, as well as the Gift Guides for Mom, Baby, and Children.

• If you're looking for something specific (say, a baby memory book), skim the search result thumbnails looking for the best product photography. Mostly, the weaker products have weak photography.

• Lastly, sorting by price (high-to-low) can help, as the items that are slightly more expensive tend to be of slightly higher quality.

So where have those search tactics led Abbey? To Kaching Design's Animal Alphabet Poster, to the adorable wooden doll figures at goose grease, and to Wooly Baby's wool booties—made out of recycled sweaters.

As for us, our latest Etsy crushes include the chunky crocheted Buckle Beanie hat from Two Seaside Babes, the adorable felt hairclips from Ruby & Myrtle and Maya Papaya, the party decorations from Ciao Bambino and the personalized wire hangers from Lila Frances.

--Abbey Nova blogs about design finds at Abbey Goes Design Scouting and Design Tots. Her Etsy shop, Abigail Vintage, has been praised by everyone from Cookie magazine to Design*Sponge.