Ken Arensbak made the original troll for his children in 1959 to help make his stories come to life.
He first unbraided strands of jute rope and glued it to a wooden base, then added the details which included natural materials found in the nearby woods.
Grandpa Troll here has been a guardian of our store since we opened in 1996. We bought our first trolls (the ones he is holding in his arms and at his feet) 25 years ago and have been collecting them ever since.
We now are proud to place them on this website. Just looking at them is joy in itself!
All are hand crafted by 5 Arts Studios in Cosby, TN - the heart of the Appalachian Mountains!
"We are trolls. As old as Nature herself, and with wisdom to match. We live in the deep mystical region between your Imagination and Reality.
Our magic powers have never been equaled.
Nature is our life and concern: We collect food for the birds in the winter, make cozy beds for the bears and snowflakes for your hair. We store acorns and nuts for the squirrels, provide dewdrops for the spider webs and cool summer breezes. We water wildflowers in the spring, color the leaves yellow and red in the autumn, and turn our forests into a fairyland of magnificent majesty. Our hair is made of sisal and jute, our bodies made of wood. We are hand-made with care and loving!"
