Review: Daiso Amigurumi Key Ring Kit

Hello again! It’s been a long time since I last blogged – but I thought it was about time I got back into it!

This post will be a review of Daiso’s Amigurumi Key ring Kit. Before I start though, I want to say that I am not being paid anything for this post. I’m writing this post simply because there seems to be a lack of anything like it online (at the time of writing). Prior to buying it, I was curious as to whether something so inexpensive could be actually worthwhile. Was it something I could gift to a beginner crocheter? Was it ideal for someone just wanting to experiment with crochet but not ready to buy a whole bunch of yarn, hooks etc?

In Australia, this kit sells for AUS$2.80. I decided to buy a kit and see what I could make from it.

At Daiso, a few variations are available of their Amigurumi Key ring Kit. These include a rabbit, cat and bear in various colours. I decided to choose the ‘Orange Cat’ Kit.

The Amigurumi Kit includes the following:

• Orange (Body) and Tan (Paws) Yarn
• Stuffing
• Embroidery Thread (for nose and mouth)
• 3x Eyes (not sure why you need three! I guess Daiso is being generous!)
• 2x Round Jump Ring (again, you only need one – the second is a spare?)
• 1x Ball Chain
• Instructions – these include not only the key ring pattern but text/picture explanations of all the crochet techniques required in both English and Japanese.

These are listed on the packaging as well. The packaging also lists the materials/tools you will need to use this kit. These include:

• Crochet Hook (2.3mm-3mm) I used a 3mm Hook.
• Yarn Needle
• Marking Pins
• Scissors
• 2x Pliers
• Craft Glue
• Ruler
• Tweezers

In making my Amigurumi Key ring I found that I could do without the marking pins, ruler and tweezers – but if they are helpful to you – go for it!

MAKING THE AMIGURUMI KEY RING:

I cannot stress how essential it is to wind your yarn into balls before you being this project. The bundles in which the yarn comes tangle easily so you will save yourself a lot of frustration if you wind them into balls before you begin!

After this preparation, follow the instructions (They are written in diagram form) and make each of the pieces as instructed.

I used a 3mm hook and worked in a continuous round (instead of slip stitching at the end of each round as suggested).

You should have pieces that look something like this when you are done (Tan cheeks accidentally missing from this photo!):

After making each of the pieces, I attached the cheeks and stitched a nose and mouth to the unstuffed head.

I then stuffed the head and stuffed the body and sewed them together.

After this I attached the ears, arms, legs and tail. On the picture of the kit the legs are attached so that the cat looks like it’s sitting. I chose to attach the legs on the cat’s sides. The instructions suggest that you stuff the arms and legs but I didn’t think it was necessary.

The eyes that come with the kit are not safety eyes but look like this:

To attach the eyes to the head, dab the ‘stem’ of the eyes in glue and push them into the amigurumi head.

To attach the round jump ring, use pliers to bend the ring to the sides (it is  a really strong jump ring – I couldn’t bend it with my fingers!). Bending the jump ring this way makes it easier to bend it closed again later.

Closed round jump ring:

Open round jump ring:

When the round jump ring is opened, slip it into a stitch on the amigurumi’s head.

Close the jump ring and then twist it so that the join is hidden inside the head. Attach the ball chain to the jump ring.

After this your amigurumi key ring is complete!

I’ve hung my amigurumi cat key ring onto my All About Ami Lambert Tote Bag. My friend Stephanie of All About Ami collaborated earlier with Laura Uy of Art + Soul Creative Co. earlier this year and produced the Lambert Collection – a set of crochet themed items which are not only cute but also raise money for a good cause!. I purchased the 13″X13″ inch bag earlier this year and found it to be the perfect size and durability for carrying books back and forth between uni and home.

The Daiso Amigurumi Key Ring Kit was a fun project to make. It is fairly simple pattern (and included explanations of all the stitches and techniques required) so would be suitable for beginners as well as more experienced crocheters. The only thing beginners might find frustrating with this project is that it is physically small (making it trickier to count stitches, change colours, sew parts together etc). Apart from this, the Daiso Amigurumi Key Ring Kit is an inexpensive way for anyone to “try” amigurumi.

I hope you’ve found this review useful! 🙂

Do you think you’ll try this kit? Or have you tried this kit already? What was your experience with it?