So in Tomac craftsmanship specialised in making souvenirs, they use autochthonous raw materials such as cotton and lavender produced in Croatia. Nataša Tomac sews flowers filled with lavender, pillows, baby toys in the forms of dogs, cats, and owls. She also designs designer, unique clothes with two-dimensional or three-dimensional hand-sewn applications.

“All of our products are well sold, but still the best sold are flowers and animals stuffed with lavender as well as the puppetries,” says Tomac and reveals that there are also those who complain because of the use of natural materials:

“One woman has recently bought some souvenirs for her relatives in Canada, but then she enumerated that she could not carry the lavender and wood through the custom. I think that was an exaggeration because it is clearly seen that these are souvenirs. Fortunately, more and more people are recognising and wanting to buy original and not ready-made souvenirs”

During the summer, Nataša Tomac exhibits her products on the island of Krk, while the rest of the year, from October to May, she sells her products in Zagreb, City Center West – level zero.

The owner of the craftsmanship UNIKA-TNO from Vrbovec, Ljiljana Stanko, specializes in making Vrbovec national costumes. She is also the author and co-author of numerous ethnographic exhibitions. In addition to national costume, with the same techniques she makes souvenirs: tablecloths, ornamental and usable cushions stuffed with cherries, lilies, lavender or hop, bookmarkers, purses, dolls, wooden crates, traditional jewellery, Christmas and Easter decorations.

“We are in Vrbovec, not in Zagreb, and we are not so oriented towards tourists, but also towards our Vrbovec people, who are happy to buy souvenirs from us. They are interested in the weaving which we use to apply to the bookmarkers or the stuffed cushions with cherries or linen. Each of these stuffed cushion pads carries the name ‘Vrbovec grandmother’s hot water bottle’. It has decorative purpose, but it can also be used for hot or cold compresses as they once used to be”

– Ljiljana Stanko

Amalija Craftsmanship is specialized in decorating various usable objects with the motifs of the Turopolje homeland. Jelena Matić points out that she mostly sells bottles and other useful items with Turopolje motifs and licitar hearts, then dolls made of maize painted with motifs of folk costumes.

In addition to traditional items, they create unique necklaces and bracelets, ornaments for Christmas and various occasional decorations depending of customers’ needs and wishes.