Swedish design gifts to send abroad, hand drawn in Stockholm
Everything in this shop is drawn by hand by one person in a studio in Stockholm, printed or made in Sweden, and shipped worldwide for a flat 159 SEK. If you are looking for a Swedish design gift to send to a friend abroad, that combination is what matters: light enough to post, made here, and not the same souvenir sold in every airport. Here is what I would send, and what it costs.
What makes a Swedish gift worth sending abroad?
That it is used at home rather than put on a shelf.
A Dala horse says Sweden and then sits there. A tray, a mug or a kitchen towel says the same thing every morning, because it is in use. Everything below is drawn by hand in my studio in Hägersten, a neighbourhood in southern Stockholm, and produced in Sweden.
Where can I buy Swedish fika themed gifts online?
Here, and the fika motif is the one I have drawn most.
Fika is the Swedish coffee break, taken sitting down, with something sweet and usually with company. The drawing called In Sweden we call it a fika shows a bearded man with a cup, and it exists across the range: a coffee cup for 220 SEK in matte stoneware, a kitchen towel for 150 SEK, a dish cloth for 29 SEK, wooden coasters from 118 SEK and a print from 175 SEK. They are collected under In Sweden we call it a fika.
What is In Sweden we call it a fika?
It is my own drawing, a bearded man with a cup and the sentence written beside him, and it has been around since 2013.
The sentence is the one I kept having to say out loud to people who were not Swedish, because fika is not the same thing as drinking coffee. It is a pause you sit down for. In Sweden we call it a fika is not a stock phrase I printed on things, it is the drawing this whole shop grew out of, and it is still the one I sell most.
Where can I buy a Swedish designed mug as a souvenir?
The fika cup is the one people send abroad most.
It is stoneware with a matte finish, dishwasher safe, and the drawing is printed on rather than applied as a sticker, so it survives daily use. At 220 SEK it costs less than most named Swedish porcelain and it is not a factory pattern, it is one drawing by one illustrator. If you want the same motif in something lighter to post, the postcard is 20 SEK and 105 x 148 mm.
Which trays travel well?
Birch trays, because they are flat and hard to break in transit.
The Swedish Fikabricka is pressed birch, 20 x 27 cm, 265 SEK. Hej hej from Sweden is the same size and price and shows a small Swedish house in summer greenery, painted in watercolour. The house is a real one, on Södermalm in Stockholm. Both are dishwasher safe. The full range is under trays.
What does shipping outside Sweden cost?
159 SEK, flat, wherever you are.
Within Sweden shipping is 49 SEK. Orders are sent the same day or the day after, and delivery takes one to five days. The flat rate means a 29 SEK dish cloth costs more to ship than to buy, so if you are ordering from abroad it is worth putting several things in the same parcel. Customs and import charges depend on the receiving country and are not included.
Which gift should I choose?
| Gift | Price | Size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee cup, In Sweden we call it a fika | 220 SEK | Stoneware, matte | The friend who wants one Swedish thing they use every morning |
| Swedish Fikabricka | 265 SEK | 20 x 27 cm birch | A housewarming or a wedding present that packs flat |
| Hej hej from Sweden tray | 265 SEK | 27 x 20 cm birch | Someone who has lived in Stockholm and misses it |
| Kitchen towel | 150 SEK | 50 x 70 cm | The lightest thing to post that still feels like a real gift |
| Coasters, set of four | 198 SEK | 9 cm, made in Sweden | A small thank you, or an addition to a parcel |
| Postcard | 20 SEK | 105 x 148 mm | Sending the drawing itself, in an ordinary envelope |
What I would leave out
Anything breakable going a long way, unless it is the point of the gift.
The stoneware cup travels fine when it is packed properly, but if you are posting to somewhere with a long delivery chain, the tray, the towel and the print are the safer choices. Flat things arrive flat.
From the studio
My name is Karin Ohlsson and I draw everything in this shop by hand, here in my studio in Hägersten in Stockholm.
In Sweden we call it a fika is mine, both the drawing and the sentence, and it dates from 2013. Swedes buy it because it is funny to see your own habit written down. People outside Sweden buy it because it explains something in one line. It has been printed on cups, trays, towels and cloths since then, and I still draw every new addition to it by hand in the same studio.
If you read Swedish, the same range is covered in more detail in the Swedish guide to fika gifts, including the trays, the mugs and the kitchen towels.
Two more guides, both in Swedish: the hand sewn bag in the bag, made only once each, and the bearded motifs the shop started with.
Key takeaways
- Worldwide shipping is a flat 159 SEK, within Sweden 49 SEK, and orders leave the same day or the day after
- The coffee cup is 220 SEK in matte stoneware and dishwasher safe
- Birch trays are 265 SEK and pack flat, which makes them the safest thing to post
- The cheapest way into the same drawing is the 29 SEK dish cloth or the 20 SEK postcard
- Everything is drawn by hand in Stockholm and produced in Sweden, by one person rather than a brand
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Swedish fika themed gifts online?
In this shop. The In Sweden we call it a fika drawing is available as a coffee cup, kitchen towel, dish cloth, coasters, tray, postcard and print, and all of it ships worldwide.
Where can I buy a Swedish designed mug as a souvenir?
The In Sweden we call it a fika coffee cup is 220 SEK, made of stoneware with a matte finish, and dishwasher safe. The drawing is printed on, not applied as a sticker.
Do you ship outside Sweden?
Yes. Shipping worldwide is a flat 159 SEK. Customs and import charges depend on the receiving country and are not included.
How long does delivery take?
Orders are dispatched the same day or the day after, and delivery takes one to five days.
What is fika?
The Swedish coffee break. It means sitting down with coffee and something sweet, usually with other people, and it happens most days rather than on special occasions.
Who drew In Sweden we call it a fika?
Karin Ohlsson, in her studio in Stockholm. Both the drawing and the sentence are hers and date from 2013.
Are the products actually made in Sweden?
The drawings are made by hand in the studio in Hägersten in Stockholm. The trays are pressed birch, the coasters are made in Sweden and the dish cloths are printed in Sweden.
What is the cheapest gift worth sending?
The 29 SEK dish cloth or the 20 SEK postcard. Because shipping is a flat rate, it is worth adding them to a larger parcel rather than sending them alone.
