Handmade Blog

Woven Wool Stools & the Heritage of Palestinian Crafts: a conversation with Lara Salous

A conversation between Handmade Palestine Morgan Cooper and weaver-designer-artist Lara Salous. Morgan: Hi Lara. Great to see you. We've known eac...

Meet our Artisans: Olive Wood Workers

Bethlehem has a rich history of olive wood working, which we proudly bring to you around the work through our olive wood kitchen collection! We vis...

International Yoga Day: Yoga for Humanity...What Does that Mean?

For the last month, I've continued asking myself What does "Yoga for Humanity," this year's theme for Int'l Yoga Day, mean to us, positioned in Pal...

What was the Palestinian Dress, el Thob, used for?

The hajja plants a balady wheat, an heirloom ancient grain, that she collects seeds from every season. This tradition and these grains are from see...

Adopt an Olive Tree in Palestine

Please read about How to Adopt an Olive Tree in Palestine and join our mission to support women artisans and plant trees in Palestine--two objectiv...

Traditional Embroidery: A Brief History of Palestinian Tatreez

The art of Palestinian embroidery, known as tatreez, has always been an integral aspect of Palestinian heritage, uniquely expressing the vibrant i...

DAUGHTER OF THE SUN | Bint el Shams

What is formed with clay, smoothed with water and baked under the Palestinian sun? A one-of-a-kind thobe by artist Shatha Safi. Shatha Safi has a...

Sima's Designs: Traditional Palestinian Embroidery Inspired

Meet SimaMizirawi. Based in Ramallah, Sima designs gorgeous bags that feature traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez on leather handbags...

Eid El Fitr & Gift Exchange

Do something great this Eid el Fitr, shop from Handmade Palestine and give a meaningful gift that is special to the person receiving it AND to the ...

How to get the most out of BFCM... but ethically!!

How to participate in black friday and cyber and still make it ethically and meaningfully. Some tips to get the best out of it and support ethical ...

Olive Oil Soap: The benefits, how to make at home? and more

Before soap was invented, ancient Egyptians used olive oil to clean their skin. Dirt on the skin would stick to the oil and both would be scraped o...

What is the symbolism of the keffiyeh patterns?

Wearing your keffiyeh, it's important to know the history and culture behind it but also to know what the patterns on the keffiyeh stand for, and h...

Is it okay for non-Arabs to wear the Arab scarf or keffiyeh? (3-minute read)

Many of our customers ask if it’s okay for non-Arabs to wear a keffiyeh. Or when wearing a keffiyeh is considered cultural appropriation? We actual...