earthy decor

"This design is inspired by our huipil blouses," members of Women United for Artisan Development confide. "We've created this so that you can have a small part of our homes and our people in your life." Meticulously handwoven on a backstrap loom, this delightful cushion cover features corded edges and a solid brown back. "The red and blue geometric motifs at top and bottom represent birds," the artisans explain.

Should one of the threads snag, the women suggest you pull it back into place from the back of the fabric with a fine crochet hook.

A small flock of birds sits among the floral blooms of a huge tree in this lovely pair of cushion covers. Designed by artisan Amit Moza from India, white cotton is used as a base for the gorgeous aari embroidery. This particular type of embroidery, a specialty of Kashmiri artisans, involves a hooked needle that creates the unique chain-stitch seen on these elegant covers. Shades of blue thread are used for the friendly fowl, which makes them stand out beautifully against the light, earthy tones of green and brown chosen for the tree. The backs of the covers are plain white, and feature a slit opening for the cushions.

An African elephant walks proudly past quiet village homes in a glowing landscape. Working in batik, K. Baka depicts the regal beast in a beautiful wall hanging. In Ghana, a saying acknowledges the creature's strength: "When two elephants fight, it's the earth that suffers."

A multicolor palette of vibrant tones embellishes Peruvian master artist Teofilo Choquecahua's newest tapestry, created for the World Peace Project.

"This tapestry is a message of world peace from my Andean worldview," explains the artisan. "On a daily basis, man has experiences without empathy with his neighbor, because of the lack of honesty between each one of the individuals. It is for this reason that my tapestry is designed to reflect that if we cultivate honesty, we will all be loyal and without any violence. Like the doves that travel the face of the earth in peace, where there is understanding and trust in each other, there is no indifference or guilt for not being fair."

This handloomed tapestry is crafted with an alpaca, cotton, wool and polyester blend. Drawing inspiration from doves, and determined to spread a message of peace and honesty, Teofilo designed an intricate pattern of traditional regional motifs.

The concept of peace takes over this set of four Christmas tree wool felt ornaments designed by India’s Renu Rani. Each decoration is a cheerful mix of soft felt, playful bells that ring in the holiday spirit and colorful cotton embroidery showcasing the peace sign, the peace dove and the message, “Peace on Earth.” Make your tree sing with joy and kindness with these handcrafted ornaments that seamlessly hang from cotton cords and can be effortlessly stored in the accompanying pouch.