I have never been too interested in the art of crochet, nor have I ever wanted a pair of AirPods. But put those things together in the form of crocheted AirPods cases, and suddenly, I’ve found myself in an Instagram hole, scrolling through photo after photo of these unfathomably cute creations.
AirPods accessories are having sort of a moment in South Korea, with online stores selling keychains, skins, and cases for the wireless earbuds with an enthusiasm that can’t be matched anywhere else. Although there are plenty of official accessory companies that offer AirPods cases that come with keychain holes and keychain accessories made specifically for AirPods cases, the real innovation is coming from artists and small business owners who sell their handmade goods through social networks like KakaoTalk and Instagram.
The designs range from Kirby and Ditto Pikachu to seasonal designs like Santa and Rudolph:
Prices run around 20,000 won (around $18), which is extremely affordable, especially considering that they’re handmade. All of the cases I’ve seen also thoughtfully feature a small hole in the bottom for the charging cable. Check out the packaging on this one:
I don’t own a pair of AirPods, but looking at all of these makes me want to buy 20 and slip them over packs of dental floss. Feel free to go through this hashtag to see more gems, but don’t get your hopes up about trying to buy them, unless you’re fluent in Korean. You’ll have to DM the sellers to put in an order, and that’s if you were able to snag a highly competitive preorder spot. Maybe if you’re lucky, though, one of these artisans will ship internationally.