Since most of us are cooped up indoors during quarantine with more free time than ever before, it’s the perfect opportunity to take up a new hobby.

You might decide to learn a language or try out a new kind of exercise, or you could get crafty and check out the amazing art of ‘amigurumi’.

What’s amigurumi, you say? Well, it’s a form of Japanese crochet art, dedicated to creating super cute, teeny tiny animals using embroidery floss and some simple equipment.

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One amazing Russian artist named Anastasia has been sharing her amigurumi creations online, both on her personal Instagram account, and on her Etsy page, where she sells designs to help other people make their own mini creatures.

Her creations are simply amazing and barely bigger than a penny!

And what’s really amazing is that even though they’re so small, they can be immensely detailed, with little beady eyes, intricate facial features, and colorful patterns along their bodies.

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Amigurumi originated in Japan and the word is made by blending together ‘ami’, which means crocheted or knitted, with ‘kurumu’, which can be translated as ‘stuffed doll’.

Amigurumi can come in various sizes and styles, but lots of amigurumi artists like Anastasia focus on making super small dolls, designed to be as cute as possible.

Some people like to make fantasy-themed amigurumi, such as dragons and other mythical creatures, while others focus on real-life animals like rabbits, raccons, bears, and foxes. Anastasia does all kinds of creatures!

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Anastasia’s little dolls are only about 2 cm or one inch tall. They can be placed around the home as little decorative elements or even used as cute keychains.

But instead of selling off her creations, Anastasia prefers to let people make their own, using her designs as a guide.

She sells downloadable PDF crochet patterns from her Etsy site that people can then use to stitch together their own little friends.

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You’ll need a crochet hook, some embroidery floss, a beading needle, sewing thread, some little beads for the eyes, oil pastels, scissors, and a toothpick to get started, and it does help to have at least a little bit of crocheting skill.

If you’re totally new to crocheting, you can find tutorial videos and guides online to help you out in the beginning.

It might seem tricky at first, but if you persevere, the results are totally worth all that hard work!

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Anastasia is just one of many inspiring amigurumi artists out there, sharing her creations with the world.

It’s amazing to see how much detail and cuteness she puts into each little one, and the sheer variety of her tiny dolls is mind-blowing!

From teeny little sloths to adorable dragons and even flowers, there’s nothing she can’t do.

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Her work is inspiring many other people to give amigurumi a try for the very first time, and her designs are a good starting point for those who are new to the concept.

Amigurumi are great gifts to give to your nearest and dearest for special occasions, or simply to show your love at any time of the year. Or, you can keep them for yourself and make your own tiny fluffy family.

It’s a really interesting idea and we encourage you to check out Anastasia’s Instagram for even more lovely photos.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Instagram, Etsy