Ceramicists & Felters
Nisf Jubeil
Bint al Shams
Ma'an lil Hayyat
Crowdfunding Campaign
Palestine Online Bazaar
From Palestine to You, Wherever You Are
You can't come to the artisans, so we are bringing the artisans to you.
life as an artisan in palestine
a tale of struggle & steadfastness
Covid-19 has created unprecedented challenges over the last two years for our community, who already suffers under the weight of a crushing, illegal Occupation. Tensions came to a head in May 2021 and are still rising in areas around the West Bank, while Gaza is under constant attack, and let us not forget communities in Jerusalem that are marginalized today more than ever.
All of this is devastating for artisans who are already struggling to maintain their craftsmanship and sustain their livelihoods. In a country where our people are guided by the concept of sumud صمود, our steadfastness, we always find a way to survive. That means new paths when those we have known are closed or destroyed. For artisans, who rely heavily on local markets, bazaars, and festivals to sell products, covid has been devastating but we have hope, and a plan, a campaign!
Our mission to support Palestinians artisans means we host bi annual bazaars, sell handicrafts in our display and at other venues. Due to Covid, we haven’t been able to host artisan markets since last year, which were a vital way to bring together artisans and the community. Our display in Ramallah has been fully closed since last year due to lockdowns. Further, we lost more than half of our revenue which we used to buy the handicrafts. Artisans cannot continue to make handicrafts without access to a market.
bringing us closer
Why the online bazaar?
Having an online shop saved our project so we could support Palestinian artisans. If we'd only marketed their handicrafts at our display in Ramallah, Handmade Palestine would have collapsed. Your online support has given us hope & encouragement to help more artisans.
We have curated an online bazaar for you to meet our artisans, learn where they're from, and support their work. Your donation and purchases will greatly help our artisans get back on their feet after the devastating 2 years of COVID-19.
capital of crafts
Hebron
from the world craft city
Jelld Leather
Jelld social enterprise from Hebron is an incredible initiative committed to creating handmade leather accessories in Palestine. Our favorite thing about Jelld (besides their unique products!) is that they support the community by creating work opportunities for women and people with disabilities, who wouldn't otherwise secure income generation projects.
city of the birth
Bethlehem
heirloom aprons
El Bier
Initially the very cool idea for El Bier Seeds & Art was to promote seed collection and art around Palestinian natural heritage. These folks use locally produced fabric, sewn by a tailor in Hebron, and printed in Dheishah Refugee Camp. They have reuseable tote bags and aprons that feature bilady or heirloom plants as well as traditional Palestinian dishes.
Bethlehem's best craftsmenship
handcarved olivewood
The craftsman in Bethlehem who, for generations, have carved Palestine's olive wood are a vital part of our tradition of craftsmanship. While Bethlehem was once a booming tourist destination before Israel’s separation wall cut it off from both tourists and from the rest of Palestine, today many woodworkers take second and third jobs, struggling to keep their traditional craft alive.
intricate beauty
Zaytouna Jewelry
Designer Nadira Alaraj and the Kattan family silversmiths do incredible work in Bethlehem, picking Roman olive leaves and casting them to create unique molds. The smithing work on these is made even more impressive when you see their workshop and all the traditional hand tools that are used to forge connector pieces and wires as well as bands .
empowering youth with disabilities
ma'an lil hayat
Ma’an Lil Hayyat is a wonderful initiative for people with disabilities. Located in a historic, renovated house in the heart of the old city of Bethlehem, this project buys wool from a woman (who has put her kids through college on this income) and processes it by hand into felt. Members of this initiative come to socialize and work in a supportive and fun environment, creating beautiful pieces from wool they make.
Meet Rania from Ma'an Lil Hayat
City of Peace
Jerusalem
vivid styles and colors
The Domari Society of Gypsies
In Palestine, there is a small community of gypsies in Jerusalem’s Shufaat neighborhood. They formed this vital Society to offer tutoring support to school kids, trainings for women in craft making and an adult literacy program. They create colorful jewelry and bags using vibrant fabrics, while keeping their traditions alive.
Empowering Bedoin Communities
Tahhadi Project
Tahhadi (challenge) is a fantastic women’s cooperative specializing in the production of handcrafted Bedouin jewelry and wool. The Bedouin communities in Silver Tent include Khan al Ahmar, where women have been trained in needle felting to use local wool and create beautiful, natural animals of Palestine.
Alluring designs from Jerusalem
Brass Jewelry
We love this project so much because it has helped so many women develop skills over the last decades. Beit Doqo Development Society - located outside of Jerusalem - started out teaching women to make food products but quickly grew to include hand carved brass jewelry in order to accommodate the growing number of women needing to generate income.
One of the world's oldest cities
Gaza
By Women Artisans from Gaza
Atfaluna
This impressive and necessary project allows for income generation through the production of high quality embroidery, ceramics and wood work, for people who are hearing impaired. Located in Gaza, the Atfaluna Society offers schooling and speech therapy through a school for the deaf.
Featured product
A Labor of Love
Sulafa Embroidery Center
Sulafa Embroidery Centre was initiated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in 1950, to provide work for women in Gaza's refugee camps. The project supports approximately 250 local artisans by commissioning traditional and contemporary embroidered goods. The purchase of a Sulafa product allows these women to support their families, which often rely on only one source of income. It is also a way to preserve the traditions and culture of embroidery within the Palestinian society and pass these essential skills from generation to the next.
Featured product
City of Kunafa & Olive Oil soap
Nablus
Over 500 years old family tradition
Al Bader soap
From a family-run soap business, for over 8 generations, this traditional olive oil soap uses a secret family recipe. It is a gentle soap that can also be used to hand wash fabric as well wash your face or body. They also make a lovely version that adds fresh goat’s milk to the bar.
Nisf Jubeil ceramics
In the tiny village of Nisf Jebil, a charming renovated home has become the workshop for a few women trained in ceramics. The village relies largely on olive farming to survive, so this cooperative is an important space for women to receive training and generate income as well as create beautiful crafts.
where home is
Ramallah
from nature to babies & mamas
Little Olea
The mother of a teething baby started this great line of organic olive wood teething rings and nursing necklaces in Palestine. She works with other mothers, both in the village of Deir Ghassaneh and Ramallah, to create safe and natural teething accessories.
A glimpse of hope
Straps by Sarab
A few years back, Sarab came home with her family from the States to live in Palestine and reconnect with her roots. As a yoga instructor she sought to work with women from Al Amari Women Center to create yoga mat straps using traditional fabric. And that's how through her passion for yoga and eagerness to connect with Palestine's culture she created her line Straps by Sarab.
traditional tatreez
hand stitched in palestine
Hand-painted
wildflowers of Palestine
Botanical Art prints of Wildflowers of Palestine, originally painted in watercolor are available in different sizes from postcards to greeting cards and wall prints. The art shows the details of Palestine’s small but mighty wildflowers. Prints come in high quality, acid-free matting and are printed in Palestine. The original watercolors are by artists Lois Nakhleh and Joan Musgrave.
Preserving Wildlife in palestine
Mashjar Juthour
Mashjar Juthour is a non profit arboretum on the edge of Ramallah, committed to creating a wildlife conservation area and engaging the community in environmental education. They make educational games for kids as well as resources and botanic art prints that all work to reclaim and transfer traditional knowledge.
La Vie Ramallah
If you're in Ramallah visit our display at La Vie Cafe. 2-minutes from Yasser Arafat Square.
Or come meet the artisans directly at Handmade Artisan Market on the 23rd of October from 10:00am-5:00pm
5 Al Qastal St. (Between Orthodox Club and Ramallah Hospital)
Hours:
Sat-Thu 12:00pm-12:00am
Fri 4:00pm-12:00am
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