Pick your favorite X-mas DIY by Anu Harkki

Today I will take you to the home of Anu Harkki. She is full of ideas and talent so you will find out few good ecological gift ideas and wrapping tips. I also photographed her animal family. She has horses, sheeps, dogs, cats, chickens, rooster and of course so adorable mini pig Bruno. Well, I don't know how mini he really is...haha. I photographed this story to Finnish ecological lifestyle magazine Huili but here you can see something that you didn't see in the magazine, so come along!

To me the best thing in X-mas is the time befre it. Why? I love the feeling of excited waiting. I use to buy a lot of things and planned my presents well but nowadays I don't do it so much any more. I think we have already too much things at our homes. When I buy something it have to be something that can be used or enjoyed or something that the person have hoped for and I prefere handmade and design by talented people. I try to avoid random somethings for X-mas present. That is not my thing anymore. Ok, two thing is what I can't resist. Vintage and handmade. 

Let's get back to DIYs. I will show you first candle present by Anu.

She has used the original box of candles - without package plastic - and made it pretty with washitape. Then she used thin natural colored silk paper and some cotton string, brown cardboard and old key with crystal. Voilá. Looks quite nice, doesn't it! And everybody use candles. 

Kierrätystehtaalla - At Recycling Factory

This weekend I went to event called Recycling Factory. It was full of fun ideas and things. To me the most tempting brands were Paloni, Poola Kataryna and kimara Crafts. These are all Finnish brands. This weekend I also had some really nice time reading magazines I’ve ordered. Especially I enjoyed reading Huili magazine. They call it the very first Finnish ecological lifestyle magazine. There are interesting reports and stories, fashion and information and big plus for them - that they look good. They also took part in Recycling Factory. Huili is not too fancy but enough. Its paper feels soft and nice in hands and it’s simple outlook works well. I also read Swedish ecological magazine called Kloka Hem. It’s about ecological living and home decoration. It also has a number of interesting reports and it gives tips and facts about building a house or renovating a house for example. And the final thing of this weekend was that we took a short hiking route in Nuuksio. That was also fun and relaxing. Nature is just awaking here in Finland. Lovely.

So this was very ecological weekend! It gave me more reason to think my choices, what I choose to do when I’m consuming. I just wish I shouldn’t use a car so much but as I am a photographer I have so much stuff with me all the time and long distances – so I can’t live without. But step by step and of course have to remember - not trying to be perfect :)

Viikonloppu oli hurjan hauska matka ekologiseen elämiseen ja kuluttamiseen. Helsingissä Kaapelilla järjestetty Kierrätystehdas keräsi melkein 10 000 kävijää. On ilo huomata, että ekologisuus kiinnostaa yhä enemmän ihmisiä. Itse löysin sieltä monta hienoa korua, laukkua ja vaatetta. Mieleen jäivät Paloni, Poola Kataryna ja kimara Crafts. Käypä kurkkaamaassa mitä hauskoja juttuja heidän sivuiltaan löytyy.  Viikonloppuna oli aikaa myös lukea ja Huili lehden parissa vierähti tovi. He kutsuvat itseään Suomen ensimmäiseksi ekologiseksi lifestyle lehdeksi. Ja se on kieltämättä hyvää ja sivistävää luettavaa ja ulkoasukin on viehättävä. Ei liian puunattu mutta tarpeeksi houkutteleva kuitenkin. Lukijana arvostan myös paperin valintaa eli mikä tuntuu kivalta kädessä tuntuu kivemmalta myös lukea. Toinen lehti mitä lueskelin oli Kloka Hem. Siinäkin on paljon hyödyllistä ja kivaa luettavaa. Viikonlopun kruunasi vielä pieni ulkoilu Nuuksion kauniissa maisemissa. Nyt on posket punaiset ja raikkaan metsäilman ansiosta tuli otettua reilut päikkärit. Mikäs sen komeampaa sunnuntaina!