9 Delightfully Clever Products That Look (or Smell) Like Something Else
Nine delightfully confusing products that look—or smell—like food, animals, and office supplies, including AsianBobaGirl’s Classic Milk Tea Candle.
There is a very specific kind of joy in seeing a fish on someone’s shoulder, doing a double take, and realizing it is actually a handbag. The same goes for a dumpling that lights up, a crab that holds your cooking spoon, and a candle that smells like your favorite milk tea order.
If your search history is full of products that look like other things, delightfully weird gifts, and useful objects with a surprise, welcome. We found nine playful products from creative businesses—including one of ours—that transform familiar food, animals, and office supplies.
You will not find competing candle or home-fragrance brands here. Just clever design worth knowing about. Prices and availability can change, so follow each link for current details.
1. A clownfish that is secretly a shoulder bag
Image: Don Fisher
Barcelona-based Don Fisher’s Clownfish shoulder bag looks ready to swim away with your keys. The irregular fish silhouette, fins, scales, and bright reef-inspired colors turn a practical cotton bag into a full conversation starter. It is designed and made in Barcelona, with a water-repellent exterior and enough usable space for everyday essentials.
Why we love it: Plenty of novelty bags are cute from ten feet away and disappointing up close. This one commits to the bit without forgetting it still has a job to do. Wear it with a simple outfit and let the fish be the whole plot.
2. Coffee beans you can wear in your ears
Image: The Food Impostor
These are not the espresso beans that escaped the grinder. They are realistic coffee bean stud earrings from The Food Impostor, handmade in Brisbane from polymer clay and resin. At roughly the size of an actual bean, the illusion works especially well until someone notices the stainless-steel backing.
Who it is perfect for: the friend who knows their washed Ethiopian roast from their natural Colombian one, the barista who already owns every mug, or anyone who enjoys accessories that reward a closer look. They are subtle enough for daily wear but weird enough to earn compliments in the coffee line.
3. A tiny red crab that keeps your counter clean
Image: OTOTO Design
Meet Red, OTOTO’s crab-shaped spoon holder and steam releaser. His claws hold a spoon, ladle, or tongs above the counter while you cook. His silicone body can also sit at the edge of a pot lid to let steam escape. In other words, the crab has two jobs and appears extremely pleased about both of them.
Why it earns counter space: This is the sweet spot for a novelty product: instantly readable, compact, dishwasher-safe, and useful often enough that it will not disappear into a junk drawer. It also makes an easy housewarming gift for the person who insists they do not need anything.
4. A burger and fries that season dinner
Image: DOIY Design
The Fast Food salt-and-pepper shakers from DOIY disguise table seasonings as a miniature cheeseburger and carton of fries. The glossy ceramic finish gives them the look of tiny diner props, while the two-piece set makes the joke genuinely functional.
The styling trick: Put them on a clean tray next to cloth napkins or vintage glassware. The more grown-up the rest of the table looks, the funnier the tiny fast-food order becomes. They are an especially good gift for a first apartment, a maximalist kitchen, or the host whose dinner table is never overly serious.
5. A soup dumpling that doubles as a night-light
Image: SMOKO
SMOKO’s Lil B Dumpling Ambient Light turns a xiao long bao into a warm, squishy-looking lamp. It is USB-C rechargeable, sized for a nightstand or shelf, and has a one-hour auto shutoff—helpful if your bedtime ritual involves falling asleep halfway through a book.
6. A banana that is actually a design lamp
Image: Seletti
The Louie Banana Lamp from Seletti and Studio Job looks like someone peeled a piece of pop art and plugged it into the wall. Made from resin and glass with a polished bronze-toned peel, it is the splurge of this list—and the product most likely to make guests stop mid-sentence.
7. A giant binder clip that carries your essentials
Image: STUDIOCULT
From a distance, STUDIOCULT’s Binder Clip Bag looks like office-supply surrealism. Up close, it is a full-grain leather crossbody with hyperrealistic stainless-steel clip handles, an adjustable strap, and—because the details matter—a lined interior inspired by loose-leaf paper.
8. A pea pod that keeps pills from rolling around your bag
Image: Kikkerland
The smallest pick may be the most practical. Kikkerland’s Pill Pod looks like a bright green pea pod but opens to reveal a compact single compartment for small pills. It won the 2013 Sang Sang Madang x Kikkerland Design Challenge, and it is pocket-sized enough for a day trip or tiny purse.
Why products that look like other things are so satisfying
The best playful products create a tiny pause: your brain recognizes one thing, then has to update the story when the object does something else. That small surprise makes an everyday task feel less automatic—and much more memorable.
9. A classic milk tea order you can light
Image: AsianBobaGirl
Our own Classic Milk Tea Candle takes the cozy scent memory of a boba-shop favorite and turns it into home fragrance. Notes of smooth black tea, roasted brown sugar, and creamy oat milk recreate the unmistakable aroma of fresh milk tea. It is made with 100% soy wax and comes in three sizes.
Why it belongs here: Everything else in this list looks like something unexpected; this one smells like something unexpected. It is a playful bubble tea gift for birthdays, housewarmings, or anyone whose regular order is classic milk tea.
Shop the Classic Milk Tea Candle →
Frequently asked questions
What do you call products that look like other things?
They are often described as novelty products, trompe-l’oeil objects, surrealist home accessories, food-shaped decor, or functional art. “Trompe-l’oeil” means “deceive the eye,” which fits designs that disguise one useful object as another familiar thing.
Are novelty gifts actually useful?
The strongest ones are. Look for a product that performs a clear everyday function, uses durable materials, and is still easy to clean, carry, or store. A visual joke is more satisfying when the object earns its place after the surprise wears off.
How do I style quirky home decor without making a room feel cluttered?
Give one unusual object room to breathe. Place it against a simple backdrop, repeat one of its colors elsewhere, and avoid grouping too many novelty pieces in the same sightline. One dumpling lamp can feel intentional; twelve competing jokes can feel like a gift shop.
The takeaway
Useful does not have to mean invisible, and playful does not have to mean disposable. These nine creative products work because the transformation is clever and the object still helps with real life. Pick the one that made you look twice—or send this list to the friend who keeps saying, “Please do not buy me anything normal.”
And if their personality is more milk tea than office supplies, find their next favorite boba candle at AsianBobaGirl.