King and Queen Mouse Decoration

This king and queen mouse decoration is needle-felted from wool in Kathmandu and comes as either the king or the queen, each in a crown and a jacket with gold-coloured stitching along the hem and a braided edge. They hang from red-and-white candy-striped threads and look very regal on a tree, side by side.

The body of each mouse is felted first, by working the wool with a barbed needle until it holds its shape, and the crown and trims are stitched on afterwards. Because every mouse is shaped by hand, no two crowns sit at quite the same angle, and the expressions differ slightly from one to the next.

The felt is made from New Zealand wool in a Kathmandu workshop, where women with families can take the work home. We source these from a supplier who describes the workshop as a member of the World Fair Trade Organization.

How to Look After Your Felt Mice

Dust them with a soft brush, and lift any mark with a lightly dampened cloth, never by washing, which would loosen the felted wool. Store them in a dry, closed box between Christmases, with a little cedar or lavender to keep moths away from the wool.

• Material: wool felt
• Size: approx. 12 x 9cm
• Hanging: candy-striped thread
• Made in: Nepal
• Decoration only, not a toy