Looking Back at the First Half of 2025: A Letter from Handmade Palestine

As we reach the midpoint of 2025, we’re taking a moment to reflect—with open hearts and honest eyes—on everything this year has brought so far. Handmade Palestine is, and has always been, so much more than a business. It is a labor of love. It is a grassroots movement. And it is a lifeline for the incredible Palestinian artisans we have the honor of working with.

Our mission has never been clearer: to support artisans with trainings, raw materials, and access to markets, and to help preserve the cultural heritage of Palestine through handmade crafts. And we want to begin by saying thank you. None of this is possible without you. You are part of a global community that chooses solidarity, dignity, and art over apathy.

But as always, supporting this mission comes with immense challenges—challenges that are deeply rooted in the daily realities of life under an illegal Israeli occupation. This year, artisans are facing even more intense restrictions. Israeli closures and blockades have made movement nearly impossible. Access to raw materials has become a logistical nightmare—if we can get them at all. At best, shipments are delayed by months. At worst, they never arrive.

And then there’s the economic pressure. The cost of living continues to rise in Palestine, while the value of the dollar has dropped, which directly affects how far your support can go. Our artisans are working harder than ever just to keep their families afloat.

Let’s talk numbers—because they tell a story too.

Sales are down 44% compared to the first half of last year. And while that’s not entirely unexpected given the economic uncertainty in many countries (especially the U.S.), it does sting. What worries us more, though, is that website traffic is down 60% from the same period in 2024. That means fewer people are not only shopping, but fewer are even finding us, reading our blog, or learning about Palestinian craftsmanship.

And yet, there’s a bright spot in the storm: our return customer rate is higher than ever.

That means you—our community—are sticking with us. You’re showing up again and again to support artisans and preserve culture through the beautiful things they make. And that matters more than we can say.

So from the bottom of our hearts: thank you. Thank you for standing with us, for shopping with purpose, for telling your friends about us, for reading our blog, and for choosing Palestinian handmade art in a world that often looks away.

We have a long road ahead, and we are not giving up. With your support, we’ll continue to provide trainings, source materials by any means we can, and push forward in getting these artisans’ work to the world.

We’re here, because you’re here.

With love and resilience,

The Handmade Palestine Team

P.S. If you haven’t visited in a while, we’d love to welcome you back. Share our site. Read a blog post. Learn about the artisans. Every little action helps preserve a culture under threat.