Juniper was used in Finland for centuries for its extreme versatility and high resistance to decay. It was used to make rope, mats, containers, fish traps, hay poles, baskets, cups, etc. It's also said that juniper has antiseptic qualities and that's one of the reasons why butter knives are made from juniper still today.

It was also said that it's safe to drink from a juniper cup, as the smell of the juniper oil kept trolls away and the little buggers wouldn't try to put anything nasty in your drink...

Products made from juniper are hard to find (juniper was actually protected in Finland for years), but you can find beautiful juniper cups, knives, spoons and the occasional beads.

I combined juniper beads with white pearls and a leather tassel in my Junipearls tassel necklace design. They're all soft, natural materials, which make the necklace comfortable to wear. And the juniper beads keep the trolls away...