Decorate Your Home With These Beautifully Woven Textiles Ethically-Made by Master Women Artisans in Guatemala
This post is sponsored by Yabal. We only partner with brands we truly love!
with Yabal
Traditional craftsmanship has been one of my passions within the sustainable fashion industry from the very beginning. It was one of the factors that ignited my interest in ethical and fairly made products. I was aware of how many cultures and crafts were being exploited by large corporations to produce low-quality goods for us to purchase at shopping centers. When I started my blog over five years ago, I wanted to highlight traditional crafts and their significance in the industry. I'm always pleased to discover new brands like Yabal that are committed to preserving these traditions and ensuring fair treatment for the artisans.
Reasons to Love Yabal
Supporting Women: Yabal is a brand that supports indigenous women's weaving cooperatives in Guatemala by selling their hand-woven products through local and international markets. The brand is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization and the Fair Trade Federation, ensuring that the weavers receive a fair wage for their products. In addition to this, Yabal also uses a portion of their sales to fund workshops on entrepreneurship, business administration, leadership, and advanced sewing courses for the weavers. By purchasing a Yabal product, you can help support the indigenous community in Guatemala and contribute towards their skill development and financial independence.
Unique Craftsmanship: Through the weaving cooperatives, Yabal is working to preserve the traditional art of back-strap weaving. These centuries-old techniques contain many beautiful cultural symbols.
Giving Back: Not only are the women artisans being supported through this brand, but Yabal has also provided educational scholarships to the children of the artisans, microloans, maternity leave for women weavers, and food security programs like vegetable gardens and mushroom cultivation.
Sustainable Materials: What you can create from someone else’s trash is always amazing. The products I’m showcasing in this post all have some recycled material, and it’s truly incredible.
My New Home Decor
all made in Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan in the Western Highlands of Guatemala
Mayan Birds Wall Art in Gray: I still can’t get over how they made this piece! It is handwoven and embroidered on the backstop loom, and the details are all created using recycled plastic bags. Can you believe it?! It’s even more special because the birds symbolize the Mayan Nahual (day sign) of Tzikin, and they are said to be the messengers between humans, the heavens, and the spiritual world.
Bird Pillowcases in Denim & Rose: Hand-brocaded and woven on the Mayan backstrap loom, this pillow’s design features the same bird you see on the wall art. The rose, lilac, and grey colors are all made from natural materials like ash, tree bark, plants, and cochineal insects. The background is made from natural cotton, and the blue denim pillowcase is made from recycled denim jean scraps that have been re-purposed from factory waste by the New Denim Project in Guatemala City.
All three of these pieces have brought something unique to our bedroom. I love them and will treasure them for many years!
back details of the Mayan Birds Wall Art - the pattern is made with up-cycled plastic bags!