One woman company, APRILMAI, was established in 1992 by Virpi Saarinen. Over 24 years, the company has manufactured Moomin products made from plywood. Wooden magnets, key rings, brooches, and toys are all made in Finland.
Every single Aprilmai’s product has gone through Virpi Saarinen’s hands. Thanks to Virpi and the subcontractors of Aprilmai, the capability to produce wooden Moomin magnets is 10 000 per day! Wow – 10 000!
Virpi Saarinen, APRILMAI
Where did you get the idea to found your own company?
– In the early 1990’s I was staying at home with my older daughter Luisa. She loved to watch the animated Moomin films shown on TV at the time. When she asked to play with Moomins, I found out that there were no Moomin toys or figures in the shops. So I decided to make them by myself – just as I had learned to do in my childhood. I sawed her Moomin figures out of plywood, one figure a day, Virpi says.
Virpi put small hooks on the backside of the figures and gave them to friends to pin them on coats, hats, and back bags. Once, a neighbour of Virpi was travelling on a plane when other passengers started to ask her where she had bought her Little My brooch. When the neighbour told Virpi this, she got the idea to make more figures and try to sell them through her own company.
– In 1992 I contacted Tove Jansson and told her that I would like to manufacture Moomin products out of plywood. I went to see her in her beautiful studio home in Helsinki and took her one of my Little My -brooches. Afterwards she called me and asked me to contact Bulls Presstjänst in Stockholm for a license, Virpi continues.
In the summer of 1992 the manufacturing of wooden Moomin products by Aprilmai started and, to our delight, it still continues in Finland!
See here all the Aprilmai’s products on moomin.com’s selection. You can find the wooden Moomin magnets at the official Moomin Shops in Helsinki.