creative gifts

This delightful set of three holiday retablos is created by Peru's Alejandro Chavez. Artisans craft the three mini retablos from wood, placing small hand-painted ceramic figures within. One features a traditional nativity scene; another shows the three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem. The third features three whimsical Santas bearing gifts, accompanied by a teddy bear.

Mary and Joseph are thrilled with their tiny child, born on the first Christmas. Wending their way toward the stable, the Three Kings are mounted on camels. They bring rich gifts to the Christ child. By Maria Ramos Sanchez, this beautiful Christmas stocking is a superb example of the Andean art of arpillería. The motifs are created with patchwork; the diminutive figures are crafted in three dimensions and embroidered by hand.

Crafted by hand of Mexican copal wood, five loving hearts are hand-painted with intricate, colorful designs. Working in the time-honored tradition of Oaxaca's alebrije sculptures, Claudio Ojeda creates this set of petite ornaments, perfect for home decor or for hanging on the tree.

Working with two kinds of local clay and Talavera techniques that date back to the 16th century, Isabelle Collins creates this pretty pair of ornaments. The ceramic ornaments feature hand painted floral motifs in traditional colors on the front sides. Please note that ribbons are not included.

Isabelle Collins in Mexico employs Talavera techniques that date back to the 16th century to create these beautiful ornaments. The two flat ceramic ornaments feature hand painted floral motifs on the front side; the backs of the ornaments are signed by the artisan. Please note that ribbons are not included.

In the traditional style of quitapenas, or worry dolls, these angelic ornaments are created by the Guatemalan artisans of the Lopez Garcia Family. Each angel features sparkling paper wings in a different color, and wears a dress made from handwoven cotton fabric with colorful stripes. This set arrive with a handy handwoven cotton storage pouch.

This whimsical collection of elephants, butterflies, turtles, birds, giraffes, tigers, monkeys, frogs, alpacas, and dogs will help you create the most unique Christmas tree you've ever seen. Jose Arriola painstakingly handcrafts and hand-paints each tiny piece in terracotta and adds a loop for hanging. They arrive with a cotton bag for easy storage.

Jose Arriola learned the art of ceramics from his mother. His work is inspired by old Mayan traditions and the bright colors of his homeland.

Artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez of Mexico hand-paint this charming hummingbird alebrije ornament sky blue with red details on the tail and multicolor designs on the body. Hanging from a yellow ribbon, the bird is crafted from copal wood. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

The alebrije tradition started with Mexico City papier mache artisan Pedro Linares (1906-1992). When he was 30, he fell into a coma due to serious illness. While he was unconscious, he dreamed he was caught between the land of the living and the dead; the place looked like a forest and was populated with creatures with body parts belonging to different animals. The beings repeatedly uttered the word alebrije. Upon recovering, Linares recreated these figures in bright colors using papier mache techniques and called them alebrijes. His work became famous and was one of the main influences of artisans in the state of Oaxaca who began crafting alebrijes of their own using traditional wood carving methods.