Remember the time you wished you could have an adorable woodland animal friend like Thumper, Bambi, and those impossibly cute critters from Snow White? I know I do! But the closest you’ve probably gotten to actually interacting with them is probably at a petting zoo, or your parents got you a pet bunny to keep you happy. Because let’s face it: domesticating a wild animal is no walk in the park and comes with a list of potential risks. But one talented crafter from Khabarovsk, Russia has made dreams come true with her amazingly realistic and whimsical felted wool animal creations!
Yulia (pronounced as Julia) Derevschikova’s adorable animal creations look like they literally jumped out from a story book. Their tiny paws, sparkling eyes, cute yet subtle feature exaggerations, and realistic fur have captivated hundreds of collectors from all over the world. She’s created everything from adorable domestic pets, woodland creatures to otherworldly creatures like unicorns. And some are so cute that they can literally fit in a teacup! All her creations are done through a traditional needle felting method she employs to give her wool creations that amazingly realistic fluff.
Meet Yulia Derevschikova, whose felted wool animals have charmed the whole world
This wonderfully talented artist began making needle felted wool animals in 2015. The felt that Yulia uses has a softer, more cloth-like texture compared to firmer felt wool. According to Yulia, it takes her over 20 hours to create a single fluffy critter. And her hard work clearly pays off every time. All the recipients of her work have nothing but good things to say about Yulia’s animals.
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“The positive emotions I get when I deliver an order to the customer are very valuable to me, it gives me inspiration.”
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Her inspiration, according to Yulia herself, is her love for animals. And while she didn’t elaborate on this, it’s clear to understand. Animals, whether they are domesticated or wild, are adorable! The young ones especially, are guilty of inspiring us with cuteness aggression. And now, Yulia’s work makes it easier for us to admire without scaring, harming, or disturbing the real animals! It’s a win-win situation, if you ask me!
Her needle felted wool creations look like whimsical characters from a children’s storybook
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She makes incredibly detailed animals using needled felt
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All her creations have been scaled down to fit display shelves, teacups, and even the palm of your hand
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Each felt creation takes up to 20 hours to make
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Aside from woodland animals, Yulia also made different feathered creatures like owls and ducklings
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In addition to her whimsical animal menagerie, Yulia also liked making unicorns
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At the time of her rise to fame, Yulia had a gorgeous range of creations on her Etsy and LiveMaster pages. However, as of writing, Yulia appears to have decided to take a break and is currently not accepting any orders. But if you can’t wait for Yulia’s hiatus to end, you can check out other artists’ work. There are also some instructional videos up in YouTube… it’s always fun to learn a new skill!