Hand Felted Wool Watermelon Christmas Tree Ornament from Bethlehem

€15,00

Hand felting wool is a process that takes days to craft each holiday ornament! This precious Christmas tree ornament is hand made from felted wool into a watermelon, the symbol of Palestinian resistance. The wool that is locally sourced, sheared by a shepherdess in Hebron, before being carded, dyed and felted by very special people with disabilities in Bethlehem. So in addition to generating income for the special folks at Ma'an Lil Hayyat who make the felt, this project also generates income for the shepherdess' family. Ma’an Lil Hayyat is a wonderful initiative for people with disabilities. Located in a historic house in the heart of the old city of Bethlehem and in Dar Salah, members of this initiative come to socialize and work in a supportive and fun environment, creating beautiful pieces from wool they make. Dimensions: 7.5 x 3.5 cm | 3 x 1.5 in All purchases from Handmade Palestine support fair trade artisans sustaining their livelihoods and we donate profits from every purchase to a local not-for-profit to plant trees and protect Palestine’s environment.

THE ETHOS

In the face of systemic economic closure, the act of making is an act of resistance. Our Traditional Craft track is anchored in the preservation of the Palestinian identity through the hands of the people. This is not mass-produced "folk art"—it is the survival of the master-craftsman.

THE PILLARS

1. **The Women’s Cooperative**: Featuring the work of *Manjel Ma'qoud*, a female-led embroidery guild formed in response to the economic suffocation of 2024. Their Tatreez is a living language of village history.
2. **Hebron Fire & Earth**: Hand-blown Phoenician glass and hand-painted ceramics from the last family workshops in Hebron, utilizing techniques refined over five centuries.
3. **Bethlehem Olive Wood**: Carved from the prunings of ancient trees, ensuring the tree's health while providing livelihoods to the Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative.

THE COMMITMENT
Every piece in this collection is a direct-from-source empowerment. We donate profits from every purchase to local not-for-profits like *Mashjar Juthour* to plant native trees and protect the Palestinian environment.