So, if you’re going to get a pet rock, at least get one that’s cool:

You’ll find these lovely rocks — real Montana river rocks, no less! — at Samaria Project.

These rocks come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and are handpainted. In addition to the birds and monsters, there are also some jellyfish.

If you’re still looking for a low-maintenance pet but want something more animal-like, do check out the amazing selection of plush animals in the shop. This one is very delightful:

You’ll find these wonderful little creations at Tutto Bello. All the creations in the shop are unique and made from original patterns. Start a veritable bakery on your shelf and make your friends drool!

Well, now there are finger puppets. Now you could put on a show with 10 fingers! And with these finger puppets, the storylines are endless:

Toilet paper puppets? Brilliant! Especially the pirate toilet paper. Or maybe the ninja is my favorite. Again, the story ideas are limitless!

If you’re into these puppets, you can find them at Stacey Rebecca’s Etsy shop.

Now, toilet paper isn’t the only thing you’ll find in the shop. Oh no. There is an entire selection of food — including this angry pizza — if you wish to have a culinary-themed play. Or you can check out the various creatures from bees to ghost kitties to frogs to unicorns. (Maybe you could have an entire fairy tale puppet show).

Or you could just collect them all and wear them on your fingers to trip your friends out. Whatever you please.

I’m especially a fan of that blowfish at the top. Such a positively scary-looking thing has been made into cuddly form. And it’s awesome-looking.

You’ll find this plush at Zooguu. Zooguu was originally Sweetestpea on Etsy, and in fact, both stores are still open and sell plush. More stuff is in the Sweetestpea store for the moment, but it’s well worth it to check out both shops. The selection is vast — there’s everything from sea creatures to chicks to monkeys to one-eyed monsters and even this rice ball.

And there’s this cute elephant:

The roly poly style of all the animals is a fun one, and that just means there’s more to squish.

In addition to plush toys in different sizes (from tiny to extra large), you’ll also find ornaments, cozies and a pillow cover.

That is the coolest thing ever! So much less squeamish than the real thing. You’ll find it at The Crafty Hedgehog.

(For the record, there are other dissected frogs in the shop … not all of them are on actual dissection tray, though that’s a mighty fine touch.)

And if you’re not feeling the cut-open frog, there are regular frogs too.

You’ll also find knitting patterns for various other animals, and more neat toys like these:

(The bunny is called Blob the Bunny, by the way, which I find positively hilarious.)

Perhaps you could try one of these:

If you’re craving one of these plushies, you’ll find them at tiddlywinks. Each plushie is totally unique, and custom orders are available. There are plenty of animals and dolls, and a particular favorite of mine is the Awake/Asleep doll, which has a sleepy face on one side and an awake face on the other. What a neat idea!

There’s lots of brightly colored animals and some wearing fun clothes … whatever your fancy, you’ll probably find something that fits the bill.

These fuzzy animals are the work of Marjji on Etsy. They’re all made from a combination of upcycled and new wool. There are many variations on the hedgehog, cat and mouse if you want your animal to have a different pattern than say, houndstooth. All of them are totally adorable.

This is from Cozy Cottage Creations. Both wet felting and needlefelting techniques were used to make this globe, which is pretty amazing in its detail. The clouds are a nice touch! If you want the world in your hands, you’ll have to wait a little bit, as these Earths are made to order only!

There are other lovely felt goodies around the store, from trinket boxes to bowls to things you can use to decorate your house, and even huggable things. Take a look:

It’s actually a knitting pattern for a plush toy that turns inside out, from cracked egg to spiffy chick. How ingenious!

This pattern was dreamed up by Anna Hrachovec of Mochimochi Land. In her shop, you’ll find all kinds of fun plush patterns, many of which involve a) some whimsical character and b) lots of individual moving parts (the more for you to play with, silly)!

Among my favorites: Sleepy Snake and Mischievous Mouse and Sausage Dogs (I have a great love of Dachshunds).

And there are, of course, the stackable cats:

There are just so many fun things to choose from. And each pattern is a mere $5! Knit up some fun toys for yourself. If you don’t know how to knit, Anna occasionally has toys in her store, but that’s very rare, so you’re best served finding a friend to knit the toys for you.

(Well, of course, it’s stress-relieving until you poke yourself by accident. Ouch!)

If you still believe that stabbing wool is a stress reliever, then Michelle of Sunfleur must be the most relaxed person on Earth! Check out her felty goods:

You’ll also find some hangable art/one-of-a-kind ACEOs in the shop, like this awesome piece:

There are all kinds of wonderful goodies in the shop. You’ll find beaded jewelry. Some hats. Accessories. Watercolor paintings.

Even the felt items run the gamut, from the aforementioned critters to pins to earrings to magnets.

Michelle is a talented artist indeed, and it’s nice to see her work across different mediums.