Dalecarlian Horse Suncatchers

 

Dala Horses

I have had a whole “Dala” fun this past few weeks creating new stained glass items. These Dala horses were a perfect change for me and opportunity to create with different textures of glass and for adding beadwork to my creations.

Originally, Dala horses were made as toys for children to play with. They were produced in the Dalarna region, near central Sweden in small villages, where people lived surrounded by forests. This is where the name stems from. The toys gained popularity first in the region, but were also sold to other regions in Sweden.

 

 Did you know that soldiers would carve these horses to barter for food? Thus, the Dala horse is said to have helped the Swedish Army survive the long winter. 

 

I created these handmade Swedish Dala Horses out of respect, love, and inspiration by my neighbor. She has shared many wonderful Swedish dishes and stories that have filled my life with joy and connection. For this reason, I wanted to share it with others by creating these unique Stained glass sun catchers. These would make a wonderful gift or home decoration. They all available on our Etsy shop.

 

Do you have any special family traditions or maybe one that you have tried? I would enjoy reading about it below.

Ginger Dawn