OWP
Handwoven Reclaimed Cotton Christmas Stocking-Multi-colored- 15"L
Handwoven Reclaimed Cotton Christmas Stocking-Multi-colored- 15"L
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This beautiful handmade Christmas stocking has an intricate pattern that has been hand-woven into this Christmas stocking. Made by artisans in Guatemala on traditional back-strap looms using this complex and unique technique passed down through generations of Mayan culture. Enjoy decorating with this detailed, handmade stocking and ring in the joyous spirit of the season.
These bright, cotton Christmas stockings are made by women artisans from the UPAVIM cooperative on the outskirts of Guatemala City. UPAVIM, which stands for United for a Better Life, is an 80-member artisan enterprise helping women through social and economic empowerment. In addition to training women in creating various handmade textiles, UPAVIM has established a school, a pharmacy, and a bakery within their cooperative.
- Measures 15” high x 7” wide
Handmade in Guatemala and fair trade imported.
UPAVIM Crafts is a cooperative of women who live in marginalized communities on the outskirts of Guatemala City. The women in the organization are mothers, homemakers, and, widows and some have been abandoned by their families. Many of them are the sole breadwinners for their families. Unidas Para Vivir Mejor (United for A Better Life, or UPAVIM) was established in 1989 to create jobs for these women and to establish facilities for healthcare, education, and other social issues to benefit the community they lived in. Over the years, UPAVIM has grown from a small community health project to about an 80-member business cooperative. The organization employs teachers, seamstresses, nurses, administrators, cooks, cleaners, and secretaries each of whom is paid a fair wage and is linked to UPAVIM ‘s fair trade business.
To learn more about the talented women at UPAVIM and the techniques they use to create these unique and eco-friendly items, please click on "About the Artisans".
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
Ceramica Quinua, an artisan cooperative known for its social and environmental responsibility, offers steady work to six workshops and 36 families in Ayachucho, Peru. Ceramica Quinua is dedicated to decreasing the use of firewood to reduce deforestation, and as such, works primarily with clay, which is extracted from the land in a controlled manner to avoid erosion.
The artisans shape and fire their pieces in home-based workshops during their nine-hour workday. Children often sit in on the workshops during their free time in so they may learn the trade that's been passed from ancestor to ancestor. The organization also takes pride in offering health care for its craftsmen, and for sharing its environmental knowledge and conservation techniques with students at public schools.
The Quinua district is characterized by the eucalyptus and alder-scented atmosphere of its mountain and forest landscapes. The name Quinua is derived from the Qenwal plant, said to be comparable in beauty only to the Quinuin women. The unique flora and fauna that inhabit the territory are fast becoming a major tourist attraction. Unfortunately, deforestation and pollution from paint chemicals are threatening their existence.
