Anna Yastrezhembovskaya is a talented Russian artist who handcrafts amazing needle-felted animals that look lifelike. From hedgehogs and birds to cats and rabbits, you’ll have a hard time believing that these tiny and adorable creatures are not real.
Yastrezhembovskaya has two kids and one day she came across some toys that were made from wool. At that moment she got inspired to try and make something herself.
“My first toy wasn’t nearly as pretty, it was rather funny,” the artist said. “But I enjoyed the process so much that I kept trying. I was felting during my free time, even at night, and I got better with each toy I made.”
What started out as a hobby grew into a business and the artist is now selling her adorable felted animals on Etsy. One of the most popular toys she’s created is an adorable bat, that the artist first created for her daughter. Yastrezhembovskaya puts so much love and effort into every single toy and she needs 12 to 14 days to finish only one bat toy.
“Wool is a very gentle and cozy material for me. When I sort the fibers between my fingers, when I shape them with a needle—I put my soul into each toy”, she said.
Take a look at her adorable creatures in the photos below.
