When a Book Inspires a Plushie

I have always loved books.

Even now, with grown children and grandchildren of my own, I can still walk past a display of children’s books and stop to look. There is something about a beautiful children’s book that makes me want to pick it up, turn the pages, and imagine who might love it.

But these days, there’s another thought that often pops into my head:

“What could I crochet to go with that?”

That’s how my Storytime Sets began.

I saw a book with an adorable animal on the cover, and before I knew it, I was thinking about my crochet patterns.

Do I have something that would work?

Could I make something that looks like the character?

What if I used this pattern instead?

And if I don’t already have the right pattern, I go looking for one.

That’s my favorite part—finding a book and figuring out how to give the child a little crocheted friend to go along with it. It allows me to use my creativity in a new way.

One Book, More Than One Possibility

One of my favorite examples is the book, I Love You to the Moon and Back. The cover has a mama fox and a baby fox, so I bought two copies and created two very different Storytime Sets.

For one, I made a Snuggler Fox, with features that

make it appropriate for a much younger child.

For the other, I made a Splooting Fox. Because it has resin safety eyes, that set is intended for an older child. It’s a completely different personality, but I loved how it looked with the book. 

I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for more books that give me more than one possibility.

The book doesn’t have to dictate exactly what the plushie should be, either. It can simply be the starting point.

For example, I made a pink and white unicorn to match the colors on the cover instead of the image itself, I paired a dragon with a How to Train Your Dragon book, and I chose an octopus for a book titled See Under the Sea. 

Some combinations are obvious, while others just take a little imagination.

Storytime Sets Make Such Nice Gifts

Give a child a book and a little crocheted friend to go with it, and you’ve got a gift with a little extra fun built in. Depending on the book and the child’s age, that friend might be something soft and cuddly for a baby, a colorful animal for a preschooler, or a dragon for an older child.

I’ve sold Storytime Sets at markets and through Facebook Marketplace, and my mother even bought one to send to my nephew’s new baby girl.

So I know they’re not just fun ideas—they’re something people actually enjoy giving.

If you’re looking for a new idea to try with your crochet plushies, pick up a children’s book and see what it makes you think of. Maybe there’s a character you could recreate, or a color combination that sparks your creativity.

That’s what makes Storytime Sets so much fun.

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Want to See More?

If you'd like to see more of my Storytime Sets, you can explore them on my Plushie Collections page.