Wreath felt bees and willow catkins

They are the classic harbingers of spring: willow catkins. From March at the latest, our native willow (Salix caprea) opens its furry buds - an early bloomer that is an important first source of food for insects such as bees, bumblebees and butterflies after the long winter months. If you would like to bring the joyful spring atmosphere into your home, please do not cut any real willow catkins, as the willow is a protected species. A literally beautiful alternative are these willow catkins twisted into a wreath, which also last much longer: Felt by hand from pure New Zealand wool, decorated with equally hand-felted berries and surrounded by felt bees, the wreath decoratively welcomes spring along with Easter - and is therefore in the best of company.

After all, wreaths are probably as old as human heads and dwellings. The ancient Germanic tribes used door wreaths to ward off disaster, the Greeks and Romans placed laurel wreaths on the heads of their chosen ones, and Polynesians still greet their visitors with wreaths of flowers that they place around their necks in a hospitable manner. And the door wreaths of our modern homes, with their circular shape, herald the constant return of the seasons, which are revealed in the respective wreath decorations - spring buds, summer blossoms, autumn leaves, winter berries.

During her backpacking tour through Nepal, the Dane Gry Staunstrup got to know the astonishing openness and warmth of the country’s inhabitants, and their craftsmanship bedazzled her. She was able to observe in detail how adeptly and skilfully Nepalese women felted wool into a wide variety of objects. Staunstrup felt it was time to make something good out of the untapped potential, and an idea was born: to combine Nepalese handicrafts with Danish design. And the idea was immediately followed by action.

The company Gry & Sif started producing a variety of products made of wool felt in Nepal in 2000. The designs created by Gry Staunstrup are as remarkable as they are understated and, characteristic of Danish design, at the same time fresh and merry. Nepalese women turn them into products employing traditional handicrafts. Fair Trade certified by now, Gry & Sif stands for fair wages and working conditions, environmentally conscious production and transparency. The company exclusively sources pure new wool from New Zealand sheep for the felting; each of the resulting products is handmade and unique.

This product is an example of genuine handicraft; therefore, minor deviations in size and colour may occur.