
Last month when Amy, Kate and I flew out to Oregon for the Portland Bazaar, I found myself inordinately excited to watch Kate teach her DIY class. Inspired by the Finnish tradition of Himmeli, Kate taught Bazaar-goers how to make mini Himmeli ornaments for their Christmas trees using colorful (and striped!) straws, yarn balls and string. I loved watching everyone’s little masterpieces come together, and have been keeping an eye out for great examples online ever since.

One of my favorites remains these striking modern Himmeli created by AM Radio at Etsy. Each one looks striking enough to stand on its own, but I’d love to see them clustered together as almost a faux-chandelier, too. You can check out AM Radio’s full selection right here- I think the black mobiles are my favorite. They’re such a cool, modern spin on the traditional style. xo, grace


6 Comments
I have made couple of similar ornaments myself. These are very much like traditional Latvian ornaments with the biggest difference that the shape is irregular.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=puzuris&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=5Eo&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=f6IFT6CVFoqe-Qb4lv2-AQ&ved=0CCMQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=597
i feel so fortunate that things like this exist. i find that the most extraordinary art (or at least the art most interesting to me) is the kind that comes from unexpected places. i visited kate’s etsy shop – every piece is beautiful and the creativity astounds me.
I want these to be chandeliers….
These are beautiful and very modern. It’s very interesting to see so many similarities between different cultures. In Lithuania similar ornaments are also a tradition. I live in New York now and with a group of like minded people we made decorations for two big christmas trees for a Brooklyn church. If interested, you can see images here: https://picasaweb.google.com/astajoana/RecentlyUpdated?authkey=Gv1sRgCILaoLzYxIqA1QE
These geometric shapes are SO fun!
I love these so much! Ella & Joanna, thanks for the links – I love them, too!
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