Moscow Artist Creates Adorable Furry Friends Out Of Wool

Needle felting has gained a lot of traction over the past few years — the popular craft involves a pile of fluffy stuff known as felting wool, which is punctured with a needle into various shapes. Many people make animal figures out of this wool, since it’s easy to create a furry appearance.

But Stowaway Toys doesn’t’ just make figurines — they’re whimsical creations of pure joy. These little animals are made of felted wool, and we’re obsessed with them all. The creatures come at a much needed time in the world when pandemic stress is at an all-time high.

Textile artist Nastasya Shuljak of Moscow creates felted buddies that look as though they’ve come straight from a magical woodland forest. Textile artists have been needle-felting cute creations for a while now, but Nastasya’s sweet enchanted community takes the cake.

Think smiling miniature trees and rotund root vegetables with leaves sticking out of the root. The artist refers to them as “small lumps of joy” and we think that’s a perfectly apt name for them. Some of the creatures are recognizable, while others seem like hybrids or even figments of the artist’s imagination.

With needle felting, you can create your own fuzzy friends at home, but it’ll take lots of practice before you reach the level of expertise that Shuljak has reached. Don’t worry — every story starts somewhere. Nastasya’s began when she was gifted a pack of wool by a friend.