Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Our Top Swedish Christmas Gift Ideas
Welcome to Santa’s world It is always Christmas in Örnaholm, Småland, where Åsa Götander has been crafting wool Santas and other mysterious beings since 1993. Scan Magazine spoke to the founder of Åsas Tomtebod about crafts, inspiration and what the perfect Santa should look like. By Ellinor Thunberg | Photos: Åsas Tomtebod
A Santa born in Åsas Tomtebod is far from the apple-cheeked, American-style Santa Claus dressed in velvet, gold and glitter. Instead, the bearded Santa is simplistic yet mysterious, with a grey signature beard and a wool cap tucked down over his eyes. “Perhaps he doesn’t want to see all the misery in the world? Maybe that is why he pulled his cap down to cover his eyes. I worked a lot to get that particular shape,” says Åsa Götander, founder of Åsas Tomtebod. She discovered her love for crafting in wool after moving to the countryside in the mid-‘80s. In particular, it was the technique of mixing wool with soap and warm water to create felt, a method called ‘tovning’, that caught her attention. Götander started selling her Santas at markets and fairs, before scaling up 48 | Issue 94 | November 2016
production and opening up shop in a cottage in the countryside in 1993.
The big break In 2000, Götander decided to bring her designs to the Formex Design Fair in Stockholm, which turned out to be a significant decision. “I was really nervous! But it was nearly sold out on the second day and the fair lasted for four days. I wish everyone to experience such joy – we sold order upon order,” she says, recalling her big break. Today the company sells through retailers only but has expanded far beyond Småland and Sweden, and her Santas, gnomes, witches and other mysterious characters are found as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. Götander makes all designs herself, and most parts of the production are
still based in the very same cottage in Örnaholm, close to Gislaved, where it all started. However, today Götander also has support from Bosnia, where some of the sewing and the craft of ‘tovning’ to make the caps are done. After all, the company produces around 50,000 Santas in one year alone. The characters and materials are all inspired by nature. Natural sheepskin is used and no extra colour is added to the beards, making every Santa unique. “We make Santas after Christmas too. We make a lot of them, and towards the end of November we have usually sold out again,” Götander smiles.
Founder Åsa Götander is busy cutting leather for production.
For more information, please visit: www.tomtebod.com