Weekend Picks

Publised December 7, 2007

Christmas and New Year's are fast approaching. Have you bought any gifts for your loved ones? If you've put off your holiday shopping, there are plenty of products for the buying at the 1,500 booths or so that are the focus of the annual Made in Thailand fair, in Impact Halls 5 to 8 in Muang Thong Thani, which runs until Sunday. Navigating the crowded isles, you can browse for handicrafts, fashionable cloths, home decor items, souvenirs and other accessories, created by Thai homegrown designers. Highlights are innovative products from three booths including Luum Co, Kiss Me Doll and Guru Craft.

Luum

Two friends, Patchareewan Ruenthip and Nichaya Kosolavat, established a company, called Luum around two years ago to produce a line of fragrant candles, matchboxes and cards. Their collections are on sale at the Zeen Zone in Central and costum orders are also accepted. Call (02) 693 9040, or visit LuumDesign.com.

Candles

Say "I'm thinking of you" with these innovative, sweetsmelling candles, inspired by footballs, golf balls, jigsaw puzzles, goldfish and dice. They come with colourful boxes featuring various messages including "Good luck", "Hole in one, dream comes true", "Goal", "My missing piece is u" and "Ngen thong lai lai ma". Price is Bt80.

Matchboxes

Delight your friends who love collectible items with a unique collection of cute matchboxes. The designs feature cameras, houses, doubledecker buses, Buckingham Palace and robot designs, and come in yellow, pink, blackandwhite and red. Cost is Bt60.

Kiss Me Doll

Newwave designer Wisith Kanbayawatanapong offers a collection of knitting wool teddy bears and key rings, created by artisans in Prachuap Khiri Khan under the Kiss Me Doll label. His creations are available at Siam Paragon, Zen, The Emporium and Loft. Wisith also has a store at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Section 3, Soi 3 that is open Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 7pm. Call (081) 848 0082.

Chinese teddy bears

Knitting wool is used to produce teddy bear collections, including a pair of teddies dressed in red costumes that feature messages in Chinese characters, and yellow teddies  inspired by a rabbit. Price is Bt380.

Key rings

These Bt90, teddy bear key rings dressed in fancy costumes are inspired by a dinosaur, devil, rabbit, monkey, pig and tiger. They come in green, red, pink, brown, black and yellow.

Guru Craft by Guru Graphic

Designer Panadda Krasinsri launched the Guru Craft company a few years ago. Her company offers a variety of papermache products ranging from decor items, dolls, houseware to accessories. Guru Craft's collections are on offer at Siam Paragon and available online via GuruGraphic.net. Call (02) 897 6900.

Snowman piggy banks

Guru Craft celebrates this year's Christmas festival with a collection of papermache piggy banks wearing black and red hats, inspired by a snowman (Bt650). Also on offer is a white sculpturelike CD holder, inspired by a dog (Bt2,500).

Pillows

These Bt750 cloth sheep cushions come in black and white. They are filled with polyester fluff.

Pattarawadee Saengmanee