Whether you live in the suburbs, the city, or the country, what natural scenery exists around your home? When Urban Green Maker’s founder Takuma Nitta lost his house and hometown to the 2011 tsunami in Japan, it was the loss of his town’s natural surroundings that made him begin to rethink the connection between communities and nature.
Realizing how far just a little green can go, how much even the cutest little air plant can enrich a person’s life, Takuma decided he wanted to put his epiphany to use in disaster-affected areas around the world.
n partnership with environmental organizations, the company provides tools and teaches people in areas in need how to plant trees! Every purchase made goes toward sparking environmental awareness and conservation in developing areas around the world—one tree at a time.
Suggested use: Place out of direct sunlight and spray with water 1-3 times a week.
What was once waving in the winds has been woven into this elegant form, ready to grace your table with a gift from nature. Traditionally used in Bangladeshi basketmaking, kaisa is a sturdy wild grass that grows along riverbanks. Artisans cut the grass during monsoon season, while taking care to leave the roots for the next year’s crop; thus maintaining a sustainable cycle of materials. .
Dhaka Handicrafts, the producer of your new gift, is an organization that brings fair trade to the weaving artisans of rural Bangladesh in an effort to improve their social and economic well being. Through Dhaka, artisans are paid fairly for their high quality products, and are also provided with a savings plan to encourage self reliance.
Suggested use: Fill with wildflowers, pinecones, and natural treasures for a vibrant eco-centerpiece, or use as a fruit bowl or breadbasket. .
Grace your home with ancient music from your new twist bell. Hammered into shape from recycled tin and iron sheets, what was once lifeless metal has been hand-tuned to reveal its own unique tone.
Traditionally used by farmers to identify their livestock, no two bells play the same tune. Each produces its own distinctive chime to connect the farmer to his herd. Unfortunately, many seasons of drought have hit cattle breeders hard, and the art form has been on the verge of dying. But the growth of international sales has kept it alive.
Grace your home with ancient music from your new twist bell. Hammered into shape from recycled tin and iron sheets, what was once lifeless metal has been hand-tuned to reveal its own unique tone.
Made by a community in the desert Kutch region, your bell is a mini version of the classic form. Its sound, of course, is unique. What will it call to mind for you?
Suggested use: For the holidays, or all year round, add some sonic decor. Hang on a door knob or by the window.
Hebron, Palestine is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, and its glass-blowing lineage dates back to the 14th century. Traditionally, the beautiful Phoenician glass art was reserved for wedding ceremonies. Today, Hebron Glass is keeping the art form alive, and bringing it to your kitchen in an eco-friendly fashion.
The land around Hebron is rich in sand and clay, making it no wonder the city has long been a hub for fine ceramics and glassware. But in modern times, materials are sourced from the endless fount of stuff that has already been made.
Recycled bottles are collected from local homes and businesses, then smashed and melted in high temperature ovens. Various materials are added to create the brilliant swirls of color, though all are lead-free and safe for kitchen use.
Suggested use: Sip a fancy drink! Or, place a small tealight candle inside for a brilliant glow!
