I’m a gift-giving locavore, preferring artifacts sourced or created wherever I happen to call home. Jordan offers amazing experiences ranging from ancient sites to eco-tours, but if you want a simple souvenir with youth appeal the kingdom falls flat.

I stumbled across four Amman shops offering up artful clothing and jewelry that, despite contemporary styling, scream “made-in-the-Middle-East”.  Not highbrow, but locally designed and produced by owners who are also committed to supporting regional charities.

1. Jo Bedu (by 2022 not online) launched at downtown’s Souk Jara in 2007. Initial success selling too-cool-for-school tees pushed them into a proper storefront in Jabal al-Luwebideh.  In addition to streetwear, they also print their graphics on posters and pillows. Playful images aim to bridge different Arab sub-cultures. They have an outpost within the Virgin megastore in City Mall.

The company has a strong reputation as a supporter of Feed the Artist, and teams up with Jordan River foundation and Jabel Amman Residence Association for charitable promotions and events.

2. Mlabbas began as a City Mall kiosk in 2010, reborn from a stall at the first Souk Jara (2005). They claim to have started the Arabic tee-shirt thing after noticing locals sporting clothes tagged with foreign text, clueless to the meanings. Mlabbas offers Jordanians aa affordable way to self-express.

Their bold political messages attract clients from Lybia, Syria, Bahrain and Lebanon (they’ve been visited by the Mukhabarat – Jordan’s General Intelligence Directorate – regarding their more provocative designs).

Mlabbas recently branched out into stencils (think Banksy) for clients wanting to spread a message beyond their torso. They sell at City Mall and on Rainbow Street, and their shirt sales sponsor causes like the King Hussein Cancer Foundation.

3.  Korts (not online as of 2022) gifted King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein with a t-shirt in 2009, a gesture that kicked-off a home-based design business, with sales personally delivered by car. They opened a first shop in 2010, and a year later their main outpost in Jabal Amman, selling shirts and hoodies, hats and caps and scarves.

Korts considers a t-shirt as a personal canvas, an piece of clothing that you wear when you want to express your true self.

These designers pull inspiration from politics and try, through communication, to  harmonize different Jordan Valley cultures. They donate a flat rate from each sale to Somalian famine relief.

Korts sells online from our official website  and other online stores Khazanti and Sallaty.

4. 7arakat (by 2022 not online) started up last year, aiming to share creative ideas within Arabic culture. They sell shirts, sweaters, and posters online and in Amman bazaars.

A portion of proceeds support “Rahaf for Development” and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Shopping local, supporting area artists who produce their goods nearby, and giving back to make the Middle East a tiny bit better: try one of Amman’s new green tees.

The post Arab shirt shops create sustainable T-shirts appeared first on Green Prophet.

My brain inextricably links sand to sea thanks to 25 summers spent on a New Jersey barrier island.

Middle East experiences have me now connecting the grainy stuff to locations and memories largely devoid of water, such as Wadi Rum’s white desert, the crumbled limestone skirting Jerash’s ruins,  and Petra’s pulverized sandstone – a powderlike coppery red.

Dune Jewelry Design combines sterling silver with sand from your favorite beach, desert, golf course or ancient ruin to create one-of-a-kind jewelry that links to specific memories. The designs are simple, modern, and clean.

Self-taught jewelry designer Holly Daniels Christensen stocks sand from over 700 locations world-wide, or send her your own sand for a fully customized piece.  A drop-down menu on her website lets you scan her granular library:  she’s got samples from Morocco, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Christensen is a native Cape Codder and direct descendant of the Cape’s Nauset (Wampanoag) Indian tribe.  Deeply rooted in that Massachusetts beachline, she was struck  by the observation that many of us have a  powerful emotional connection with a specific patch of sand: special memories or adventures that took place on sandy spots spanning the globe.   Her company credo is “Live for the moment, then take it with you.”

That visceral connection isn’t limited to surfside experiences. Sand is everywhere, and her artifacts may hold particular appeal in the Middle East. I met a caver who saved sand from an Omani expedition, sourced from the insides of his shoes.  A friend has a small bowl of Abu Dhabi Corniche: she was sitting on the strand when she got the call confirming she was pregnant. Surely you’ve got your own sandy story?

Not into personal adornment?  Then check out Beachsand Snowflakes™, created in 2003 by another Cape Cod artist, Kellie Quinn.  She grew curious about the concept of sand as an art medium while building sandcastles with her children.  Through trial and error, she created a unique binding agent to congeal the sand into final form, as well as a special setting procedure to harden it. The oddity of snowflakes made from beach sand is appealing:  an ornament that could be displayed during the winter to recall happy summer days at the beach, on a desert eco-tour, or on a Bedouin camping trip.

As with Dune Jewelry, the ornaments are made with sand from your favorite places (discounts available if you send in your own).  Quinn’s sand stash includes samples from Oman and the West Sahara. Each snowflake has unique color and texture, displaying natural variations in the grains of sand from its beach of origin. Snowflakes, approximately 3 inches in diameter, appear as seamless and delicate as the sand itself, yet are capable of maintaining its structural integrity over time.

There’s a charitable element to these small businesses: Dune has partnered with non-profit  HOPE for Ariang Foundation and Le Moyne College (Syracuse, New York) to introduce the HOPE Collection. Each unique design supports construction and maintenance of educational facilities and programs in the Ariang Community of South Sudan.

This special line of jewelry is handmade with pieces of an actual brick used to build the Ariang Primary School.

Gabriel Bol Deng, a 2007 Le Moyne College alumni, and former Sudanese “lost boy”, is Founder and Executive Director of HOPE for Ariang Foundation.  Under Gabriel’s leadership, the people of Ariang hand made more than 300,000 bricks to build the primary school for their children.

His parents were killed during South Sudan’s civil war, and 10 year old Gabriel fled Ariang to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. It was in the camps that Gabriel realized the importance of reading and writing: he learned English by writing on cardboard with charcoal. After university, he established the non-profit to provide an opportunity for children of Ariang to be properly schooled. Educating the children is key to achieving lasting peace and sustainable development in the region. Christensen says, “We hope when you wear this small piece of Ariang School you will be reminded of the students who are learning because of your generous contribution.”

Enterprises like Dune Jewelry Design and Beachsand Snowflakes™ tick all the right boxes for sustainable gifting: reasonably priced quality products, cued in to the environment, and with a bit of a give-back factor.

The post Eco-Art Gift Ideas for Sandy Claus appeared first on Green Prophet.

I’m overjoyed and giddy like a child on Christmas eve. As a Muslim, my year is punctuated with two religious festivals, or Eids. Eid-ul-Fitr ended the 30-day fasting in Ramadan two months ago, and Eid-ul-Adha which marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah with a sacrifice.

A sacrifice of meat is an emphasised ritual for the pilgrims, while Muslim families all over the world slaughter an animal to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s sacrifice, and distribute it to the poor nearby. This is the ultimate offering: giving your most loved riches to those without, for God’s sake.

It creates a balance of wealth and unites the faithful.

After a day experiencing ever-growing consumerism attached to the Muslim celebration and on the eve of “Eid-mas”, my family already sponsored a meat-drive for British locals and abroad in Pakistan.

Yet, I am wondering what it is exactly I was supposed to sacrifice. Got any ideas?

Sacrifice is an ethical component of Islamic faith. Pilgrimage too is a journey of preservation – reminding the inner-self of an organic fate all the while using environmentally friendly transportation, the Makkah Metro, to get there. Prophet Muhammad of Islam called these days of pilgrimage the “days of Sacrifice”, saying that selfless actions would be rewarded multifold.

How to give back sustainably for Eid Adha

Without sacrifice, fasting during Ramadan every year becomes a mere diet phase for Muslims. Without sacrifice, the compulsory 2.5 zakat tax intended to purify one’s use of wealth, is nothing more than an economic burden. Hajj, the fifth pillar to Islam’s 5 after belief, prayer, fasting and charity (zakat), is also fundamentally based on the ultimate act.

But our sense of giving is lost when our focus is on providing for ourselves. Charity is an everyday act, yet on the day of sacrifice, a simple donation to the local mosque is not enough. In popular custom, a general view is accepted that the Eid festivals are like a ‘free-pass’, what we consume and wear is not going to be tallied against us, provided of course what we consume is Halal and healthy.

Instead of dishing out the usual charity, do more and do something different. Invest in kindness, reach out to a new organisation, challenge yourself to commit the ultimate sacrifice.

7 ways to make your Eid Adha sustainable

1. Give your Eid outfit away: A rich culture of ornate clothing prevails in Arab people and in my own African heritage. But instead of buying the top-end price of suits, go one band lower and donate the difference to a charity. Better yet, follow a Sunnah (prophetic action) by wearing your new suit once and giving it away. Find a regional clothes bank at Islamic Relief who ship clean clothes to disaster areas.

2. Fairtrade Eids: Take is a step further and buy your next Eid outfit from a Fairtrade store, buy Islamic tops that are organic, and look into swapping one item of clothing for hijab-friendly ethical outfits. Your clothing will carry the trademark of fair business, alleviating working conditions in third world countries, and you don’t lose out on the fabulousness.

3. The 3/3 food rule: Reduce that food baby. Save your expenses and make less food for Eid. Keyword: Less. Instead of having a gigantic Eid feast of meats and fats brimming with heart-attacks, opt for more fruit salads and grow your own vegetable. Check out how to make maklubah, an Arabic upside-down chicken and rice dish. And follow the 3/3 rule: Eat till your stomach’s full one-third, drink till your full one-third and leave the rest to breathe!

4. Eid gifts with value: Money is a standard Eid present but it’s so bland. Coupons and vouchers come second, but that money can make a bigger impact. Plant a tree in Palestine (or Britain) with Trees4Life, on behalf of someone or as a group of friends. Handcraft your own upcycled Eid cards. Read the Islam and Water story of Hajrah and son Ismail, who were the originators of modern day Hajj. And take your children to a soup kitchen on Eid day to instill community love.

5. Use less water: Muslim women, I’m talking to you. On Eid day, take part in water management by dedicating one set of dishes for everyone so that less water is used for washing up. Save unused clean water for tea or coffee and if you drop an ice-cube onto the floor, don’t chuck it in the sink, drop it into a plant pot.

6. New Year Resolutions: Hajj occurs in the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah. Instead of making a dozen new year’s resolutions just make one. And stick to it throughout the year. My resolution is to (God willing) become a full-time volunteer worker, and you can start by giving just 5 minutes a week to your local environmental campaign or disability home.

7. Zabiha or Halal? Animal slaughter: Finally, ask your butchers where they get their meat from. Are the animals well fed, treated humanely? If the meat’s zabiha, it’s slaughtered according to religious law, but is it halal (Islamically permissible) and organic? Princess Ali of Jordan supports advancements such as stunning the animal before slaughter so be wise and ask.

Watch Almaghrib’s video on Zabiha Man vs. Halal Man to figure out the difference:

I’d love to hear what you gave up for Eid-mas. Comment below!

From the Green Prophet team and I, عيد مبارك‎ / عید مبارک

Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak.

Want to do do more to make Eid Adha more sustainable? Read:
Nominate Your Green Prophet Eco Hero for 2011
Some Tips to Help Break Your Coffee Habit
The Do’s and Don’ts of Green Blogging for Muslims

The post 7 Tips for a Sustainable Eid ul Adha Festival appeared first on Green Prophet.

MADEO does the leg work for you when it comes to tracking down cool gifts for your eco-trendy friends.

You know the scenario: it’s your cool eco-friendly pal’s housewarming/birthday/holiday party/fill-in-the-blank party and you are short one fabulous/original/aesthetic/environmentally-considerate gift.  You want something creative yet functional, like a cool hanging wine glass rack or a funky bread slicer, but the stock at your local design store isn’t too eco-friendly and you know that “green” items make your friend that much happier.  It’s kind of last-minute, so you don’t have time to wait for an eco-friendly and handmade gift from an Etsy artist to be shipped to you, or wait for an item from a green online store.

You need a brick-and-mortar green design store.  If you live in Israel, MADEO (aka Modern and Designed Ecological Objects) makes that easier for you by supplying design stores all over the country with interesting and ecological design products.

With products ranging from the Ecoist clutch purse above (made from repurposed candy wrappers) to Batucada jewelry made from recycled rubber and Escama Studio handcrafted bags made from recycled aluminum tabs, Madeo is helping ladies all over Israel find gifts for themselves or for their eco-fashionista friends.

As the company describes itself:

“In MADEO we choose to specialize in spotting stylish innovative objects from around the globe which are unique in their ecological value.  We import, market and distribute these products in Israel.  The guidelines of Madeo is achieving a combination of exquisite design, very high standard of production and ecologically minded.”

(Of course, their company would be a little greener if they sourced all products locally instead of importing, but that’s another story.)

To find out where MADEO products are available near you check out the MADEO website.

Read more about stores (both physical and online) with an abundance of green design products:
9 Israeli Etsy Shops That Make Online Shopping Greener (and Funner)
Dubai’s Ekotribe to Open Online Mideast Ecostore
Tel Aviv Port’s “Pop-Up Design Store” Features Many Upcycling Designers

The post MADEO Consolidates Stylish and Eco-Friendly Design Products appeared first on Green Prophet.

If you have a lot of stuff laying around that you can’t bear to part with but currently has no use, than Hana would be a god send. The Jordan-based eco designer can turn tins into lanterns, skateboards into necklaces and plastic bags into notebooks. Not only is she a budding designer with great flair but she also has the time to help out on projects working with children in refugee camps, women’s rights and helping the planet. I spoke to the upcycler about all things hand-made, taking a leap into the unknown to do something you love and changing people’s perceptions of trash.

Also, check out Hana’s tin can lantern tutorial which is a great step-by-step guide to making a gorgeous lantern from a tin- but if you don’t have the time to make it yourself, you can always snap up one of Hana’s!

Where in Jordan were you born and raised and have you always wanted to be a designer?

I was born and raised in Amman, I knew since I was a child that I wanted to be an artist but the idea evolved as I grew older and I started to know myself better. Eventually I realised that I want to do something artistic that has a certain function to it and holds meaning.

Upcycling is a new and pretty word of an old concept. How did you get introduced to upcycling?

It was by coincidence that I got introduced to upcycling. I used to make jewellery out of old leather from bags or shoes or even leather seats but I didn’t know that what I was doing is called upcycling until I decided to research jewellery ideas on the internet and only then was I introduced to this term.

What is it about upcycling that you love?

I love the idea of turning something that people see as trash into something beautiful that also has a function. I also love that there are so many ways that you can upcycle something, for example I use the sewing machine to make bags and purses out of old neckties, on the other hand I use the jigsaw to make the skateboard jewellery, so there’s always a new skill to learn. And since I’m a person who doesn’t like routine this job is perfect for me!

I read that you quit your job as a graphic designer to become an upcycler. Was that a difficult decision to make?

It was difficult at first because I had to move out of my comfort zone where I get paid consistently, but I’m the kind of person that if I don’t do what I want I become miserable and depressed. So I had no other choice and in the end it’s the best decision I made.

All of your work involves turning old stuff into fabulous new stuff. Is the ‘green’ aspect of upcycling important to you?

To be honest, at first the concept of green products didn’t occur to me because like I said I didn’t know that what I was doing was called upcycling- it was just something I did to pass the time. But as the project grew bigger I realised that what I was doing could raise awareness about the environment, and being someone who has always loved nature it made sense to do it. I now go to different areas in Jordan where I give workshops on how to reuse certain things that harm the environment like plastic bags and bottles. I started reading more about how those things harm the environment and try to come up with ideas that can help prevent those problems.

What has the reaction to your work been like from your family and the wider community?

The reaction has always been positive, my family is very supportive and they encouraged me all the way- they even helped me build a workshop. People have been bringing me all their “trash” which is something I never thought I would appreciate but I really do, because now people think twice before throwing something away that could have potential to be turned into something beautiful.

And finally, what’s your dream project?

Opening a shop is my dream project. This is actually how it all started, I was sitting with a friend one day and it hit me- I told him I’m going to quit my job and open a shop. I didn’t know anything else back then, I didn’t know it will have to do with upcycling I just knew that this is what I wanted to do.

For more Eco-Designers from the Middle East see:

Hasadna Design Workshop Does Upcycled Chandeliers

Artiquea: The Beautiful Art of Recycling

Interview with Egyptian Eco-Fashion Designer Nadia Nour

The post Meet Hana Faouri- the Upcycling Designer from Jordan appeared first on Green Prophet.

Paula Leven is an avid spinner, in the archaic use of the term.

Etsy, the popular handmade craft shopping site, touts itself as being green for a few reasons: all the items on the site are either handmade or vintage, and there is a feature to help shoppers buy local.  And yes, these are green ideas.  But Paula Leven takes her Etsy shop to a new eco-friendly level with her completely off-the-grid wares.  Whereas other crafters often using electronic devices such as sewing machines to make their products, Paula relies solely on her two hands, her spinning wheel, and her knitting needles.  Her products are old school, and completely non-electric.

As Paula explains about her love for spinning wool (which she’s been doing for 30 years),

“Spinning is a remarkable art – and was largely replaced by machines after about 1820. Wheels came to Europe around 1500 CE (the materials for the Bet HaMikdash were made with a drop spindle – which I also demonstrate). It is a lovely, soothing to do and be around, and obviously uses no electricity. Once all our thread and yarn was made this way…”

Paula also says that she prefers wool to cotton since it is more sustainable.  Wool doesn’t require killing an animal or a crop (it only requires a haircut), and cotton is one of the most pesticide intensive crops.

Besides selling her crafts on Etsy, Paula teaches spinning classes at a farm in Mevo Modiin and knitting classes in Jerusalem.

And apart from her crafts in general, Paula tries to lead a green life.  In her own words,

“I feel very connected to the green revolution and besides what I do for a living, I grow veggies in my garden and recycle my washing machine water. My kids’ friends often hear/learn about these kinds of options in life for the first time at my house. My floor loom literally “looms” over my living room and it is hard to visit without having to ask, “what is that?” I get a chance to explain to kids how their clothing was once made (and may yet again be made as we will one day adapt to a world without cheap oil).”

Check out Paula’s creations at her Etsy shop, HolyLandWoolens.

Read more about Etsy::
9 Israeli Etsy Shops That Make Online Shopping Greener (and Funner)
Etsy: The Ebay for Handmade Goods
Dria Peterson’s Handmade Creations, Born From a Genealogy of Vegetarianism and Recycling

The post Paula Leven Handspins and Knits Wool, Bringing Totally Off-the-Grid Crafts to Etsy appeared first on Green Prophet.

When you are making upcycled paper gift tags, the possibilities are almost endless.  Unlike gift bows (which you can read a tutorial on how to make here), gift tags are, by nature, tiny little things, and do not require large areas of paper.  Gift tags can be made from cereal boxes, old envelopes, you name it (and you will later on… keep reading).

But Viktoria’s paper sources have a great story.  When Viktoria first became an Etsy seller a few years ago, she decided that she wanted to include cute, colorful gift tags with her sold items.  She decided to make them herself to reduce packaging costs, and conveniently had a neighbor at the time who worked in a printing house.  She asked her neighbor if they ever threw away cardboard or other papers, and sure enough the next day he brought home some leftovers.

This developed into her becoming the repository for papers from her friends, neighbors, and coworkers who bring her old calendars, postcards, maps, and other paper goods.

Now her gift tag obsession has created a whole other Etsy shop, KAPARA.  All of her gift tags are made out of high quality upcycled paper in a variety of interesting shapes.  And most of her materials are still sourced from printing house leftovers.

This brings us to our Green Prophet Giveaway…  Viktoria will bestow a sample set of a variety of upcycled gift tags (such as the one above) to the reader who comes up with the most creative paper source for future gift tags.  The possibilities are endless – this could be an actual physical source (like the printing houses where she currently gets some materials), or a type of paper that could be upcycled (like a map).  Please post your ideas in the comments section below and the winner will be selected and notified by next Friday.  While these gift tags may not be quite in time for Valentine’s Day, you can use them for your next gift (romantic or otherwise).

Be sure to visit KAPARA as well as Viktoria’s blog.

Read more about other paper upcycling designers and projects::

Tel Aviv’s Artists’ Market Offers Good Green “News” On Desy’s Newspaper Designs

Think Again: Transform Junk Mail into Beautiful Envelopes

Think Again: Strike Up a Matchbox Inspired Recycled Notebook

The post KAPARA's Upcycled Gift Tags and a Green Prophet Giveaway! appeared first on Green Prophet.

Giftec

This time, however, Giftec will be hosting Artesana: Authentic Handicrafts – a display of 16 Palestinian handicrafts companies in a move that supports Israeli-Palestinian business cooperation and also encourages the promotion of local handicrafts.  And as we’ve noted many times before here on Green Prophet, local is almost always greener.

Local products require less fossil fuels to transport, and handicrafts are also greener since they rely on human power instead of mechanical (and electrical) power.

Last year, in a trip organized by the Peres Center for Peace and the Palestine Trade Center (PalTrade), a delegation of 30 Palestinian businesspeople and manufacturers visited the Giftec Exhbition.  While last year the delegation merely reviewed the products available at the exhibition, this year Palestinian products are represented in the exhibition.

Artesana is being supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Tel Aviv as well as the Norwegian Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority.

Read more about other local handicrafts::

The Bedouin Ladies of Lakia Weave Together Women and Tradition

Buying Fair Trade from the Hands of Local Craftswomen

Guy Lougashi Weaves Together Baskets and People with Recycled Paper

The post Upcoming Giftec Exhibition in Tel Aviv to Feature Local Palestinian Handicrafts appeared first on Green Prophet.

Gold has always fascinated mankind with its beauty and its durability. An Israeli artisan named David Weitzman is now involved in turning this precious metal, as well as silver and other metals into beautiful talisman and amulet pieces that promote environmental awareness as well as spiritual ties to Mother Earth.

Weitzman, through his Ka Gold Jewelry website has embarked on a campaign to help promote more awareness to environmental problems that people on this planet are all very much involved in.

Weitzman so much believes in the preserving our natural environment that all of the proceeds of a special Mother Earth pendent he has created are being donated to several environmental organizations including EcoEarth and Nature.org.

“This eco jewelry Mother Earth design was created to strengthen the tie between human beings and the Earth,” says Weitzman. “Many of our natural resources are now being put at great risk. We see rapid climatic changes these days and our Earth’s resources are being destroyed by the minute. Hence, there’s a need for us to work together and awaken each other’s appreciation for nature and change.”

Weitzman’s unique jewelry and amulet designs have long been associated with various aspects of spirituality and contact with the forces of both the spiritual and natural worlds.

He became noted in the later 1990’s for his Merkaba pendant which is derived from the ancient Merkaba or “heavenly chariot” symbol used by the ancient Egyptians, Israelites and other peoples.

In regards to his Mother Earth design Weitzman believes that by wearing this pendant a person will be constantly reminded of the need to devote more effort into helping to solve the earth’s environmental problems, including helping to raise needed funds for ecological projects.

While Mr. Weitzman’s idea is a very good one, it might be noted here that the use of gold and other metals to manufacture these pendants has been the subject of controversy due to the “hard rock mining” methods used to extract the gold and silver ore from natural rock formations in countries such as Australia, South Africa, Canada, Russia, and other locations.

These mining methods have included the use of such poisonous chemical compounds such as cyanide to “flush” the metals from the formations in which they are found. These chemical compounds cause considerable environmental damage, and eventually reach ground water aquifers that are used as sources of fresh drinking water.

There is no doubt that Mr. Weitzman’s aim and intentions concerning his pendants are completely sincere and honorable. It might be appropriate for him, however, to do some checking as to the source of the gold and other metals he uses for his designs, and that they do not come from mining operations involving the use of cyanide flushing and other such methods to extract them. There is no mention of this on a recent press release he sent out.

If they are not, then he can truly say that his efforts are 100% in support of a better world environment.

More on green jewelry:
Yuli Ziv on Green Trends and Sustainable Design
One World, Many Beads: A Journey in Bedouin Jewelry
Hey, Are You Gonna Use That? The Second Great Green Prophet Giveaway with Yoav Kotik!
Ward Off Evil Eyes with Handmade Israeli Jewelry and Jewish Gifts from Israel

The post Going For The "Green" In Gold Jewelry appeared first on Green Prophet.

Local and handmade gifts are one type of environmentally friendly gift because they require fewer carbon emissions than a gift that is machine-made and imported from far away.  If it’s local, that means it didn’t have to get on a plane to get to you.  And if it’s handmade, no heavy machinery had to be used.

Last week we featured AmuletGifts.com, an online story full of  local, handmade jewelry.  And this week, for those who want to give other types of local, handmade gifts – we’re introducing you to Most Original.com.  (The dot com element of these stores also contributes to their “greenness” since it enables them to be open 24 hours a day without operating a store 24 hours a day.)

Emphasis on original.  Check out the “All Nose Ceramic Cup” by Nathan Halpern above, or the blue Baby Pin by Lara Levi to the left.  Other gifts available at the Most Original online store include sculptures, photographs, jewelry, home decor, Judaica, and more.

(But our favorite, by far, is the nose ceramic cup.)

Read more about other local gift ideas:
SAHA’s Fairly Local Trade
Sde Eliyahu’s Organic Gift Package and Tour
Nagaya Organic Gifts: Give the Gift of Sustainability

The post Give Gifts That Are Local, Handmade, and Most Original appeared first on Green Prophet.