It is an ongoing joke in my house that I am a plant killer. Houseplants live (for a brief time) in fear of my black thumb. I have over-watered, under-watered, sun scorched and also underexposed plants of all different varieties, but they all eventually meet the same untimely fate: my garbage can.
Jamie Leigh Griffiths has met many reformed plant killers over the years. The artist behind Shop Little Pricks hand crochets succulent plants – no watering or direct sunshine required! “When I see a gorgeous succulent, I accept the challenge of recreating it with acrylic yarn,” she said. “I personally crochet every piece and they generally consist of over 600 individual knots each. I particularly enjoy looking for their ‘pots’ or ‘vessels,’ which is a really meditative experience for me.” The shop specializes in soft, potted succulent sculptures, like the “Muscle Man Sheila,” “Bearded Ladies,” and the floral “Fat Bottom Girl,” which range in size from 2-5 inches tall. “All of my Little Pricks emanate a different aspect of the fierce femme personality. Regardless of who you are and what you experience, we all deserve love and we especially deserve self-love,” shared Griffiths. “My soft sculptures are my representation of positive body image and encourage every woman to be unapologetically herself. Something that took me a long time to do myself.”
Originally from Philadelphia, Griffiths launched Shop Little Pricks in 2015 after moving to South Florida. “My Mommom taught me to crochet when I was very young and, after 30 odd years of crocheting, I finally landed on succulents,” she recalled. “It came out of necessity when all my plants died in my poorly lit apartment and I have been passionate about creating them ever since.” Griffiths explained her design process as a “spiritual experience:” “My favorite part is how serendipitously all the plants and pots come together, as if they were meant to marry all along. Sometimes, I just gaze at my inventory space and behold the beautiful handmade garden I have created and think about how grateful I am for this gift that I have and the ability to share it with other people.”
Griffiths is also a self-described “home design addict.” “I save so many gorgeous home-porn pictures from Instagram and Pinterest. Especially if the picture has a beautiful plant in it, I’m all over it,” she laughed. “Also, my house is basically a giant garden. Curating a beautiful space that I feel that I can calm down and grow in is really important to me.” Griffiths regularly showcases her crocheted plants at local craft fairs and events, but often restocks her online shop. “Transferring my brand personality to a website has been one of the most challenging aspects of having a handmade business, but just the fact that I have items on Etsy is a feat in itself!”
Do you love the look of succulent plants but hate the maintenance of keeping one more thing alive in your own home? “Each Little Prick is joyfully designed with love and respect for all the plants we have involuntarily put out of their misery. May they always grow in our hearts.” Check out all the Little Pricks popping up in Griffiths’ Etsy shop and Instagram account here.
How adorable! Despite my mother being some sort of nature godless incarnate, I was born with a serious case of black thumb. I can’t even master the art of an “effortless” succulent 🙁 So I love the idea of having these charming little cuties around the house, without the inevitable guilt of over coddling it to death! So cute!