DaviDaj Creations brings crochet plushies to life
Published:Saturday | August 2, 2025 | 12:06 AMRollesha Laing/ Assistant Lifestyle and Entertainment Editor
Usually, when you think of crochet items, clothing and accessories instantly come to mind. But, with this woman-led business, the kind of crochet that takes centre stage is bright, colourful plushies — soft, stuffed toys made entirely from yarn. What began as a hobby for Faith-Lyn Cummings has, almost two years later, blossomed into a small business through her brand, DaviDaj Creations.
“I learnt crocheting mainly through YouTube and tons of practice,” Cummings, who has a career in housing, told Saturday Living. “The very first thing I crocheted well enough for me to consider selling was a mini octopus.”
Reflecting on how that creation came to be, she shared that she was inspired one December by Canadian amigurumi crochet designer Jade Gauthier-Boutin, who released an advent calendar featuring free patterns and step-by-step instructions.
“When I did my first one, I was so excited. I remember shouting, ‘Oh, I did it and it looks good!’” Cummings said, laughing as she recalled the moment. She added that the small pattern took her a little over an hour to complete.
Cummings explained that, while plushies are what most customers are immediately drawn to, she also specialises in handmade jewellery like bracelets, keychains (both plushy-based and beaded) –which are also used as bag accessories, scrunchies, crochet hats, and bags.
“The plushies bring out the inner child of my customers. Whenever they see the plushies on display, they immediately are intrigued and want to touch them,” she added.
Saturday Living witnessed that sense of curiosity firsthand when we visited her booth at this year’s Book Fairy Festival. On display were plushies of all sizes — most notably a black and brown puppy and a few ‘emotional support dumpster fires’ that call to mind the popular ‘This is fine’ meme. The meme originated from a comic strip by KC Green, an American cartoonist, featuring a smiling dog calmly sipping coffee while the room around him is in flames. “This is fine,” the dog assures himself.
DaviDaj’s version features a smiling dumpster, available in several colours, topped with a single flame and adorned with an emotional strip of words that reads: “It’s fine … I’m fine… Everything is fine.”
“This is one of the newest items we have, and it’s perfect in the home or [on] an office desk,” Cummings shared. “You know, sometimes things get [out of control] at home or even at work, and the emotional dumpster fire serves as a little reassurance to take a deep breath, calm yourself, and say, ‘it’s fine.’”
Her creations are also interactive — some can flip, pop up, or move with a simple action.
“We try to be very creative, and we try, as best as possible, to make the items last.” She also noted that educating customers on how to care for their keepsakes and jewellery is something the small business takes seriously.
“Sometimes people can be aggressive with the items, especially when they don’t understand how to wear it. So, for example, when a customer purchases a bracelet, they get a care card which informs you on best practices like not showering in them, how to put them on and take them off.”