We’ve got the motherlode of Mother’s Day gift ideas! Mother’s Day is a pretty big deal around here given that we are a women’s weaving cooperative and that we have a Mother’s Day Gift Guide full of beautiful handwoven gifts like shawls, scarves and jewelry rolls that most moms are drawn to. This year, we’d also like to share some inspirational gift ideas from a few of our fellow Fair Trade Federation brands. You’re going to love these artisan made gifts from around the globe because they are beautiful. And because they’re fair trade, you can feel confident that these brands are all committed to positive change. Everyone here respectfully celebrates the cultures and the talents of the artisans, ensures that the artisans are paid fair wages and have safe working conditions. When you purchase from verified fair trade organizations, you make an impact on the artisans, their families and even their communities. Whether your mom loves to accessorize, travel or drink coffee, we’ve got something to please each one. You could even assemble a gift basket with these beauties!
We’ve long admired Dunitz & Company for their beautiful jewelry handmade in Guatemala. At the helm, Nancy Dunitz is a talented artist and designer who visited the country back in 1989 and has been creating opportunities for artisans ever since with stunning beaded, glass and embroidered earrings, necklaces and bracelets as well a fun collection of works of art earrings that include Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Chagall and more. We love Dunitz glass earrings paired with our scarves – it’s easy to find colors that complement each other. And if mom isn’t a jewelry gal, check out Dunitz & Company’s handwoven and embroidered masks accented with glass beads.
Mata Traders is a design driven fair trade fashion brand with a goal of ending global poverty. Designed in Chicago and made by artisans in India and Nepal, they make dresses, skirts and tops in fun and sophisticated patterns Gorgeous hand screen printed and block printed fabrics are used to create a wide range of styles (think mini, midi and maxi!) in a broad range of sizes. Many of the products also include beautiful hand embroidery details. We always look forward to seeing what Mata Traders is offering each season and appreciate how comfortable their dresses are to wear. Mata means “mother” in Hindi and is a tribute to Shakti – the female creative power in all of us which makes it even more of a perfect Mother’s Day Gift!
Coffee is something that is favored by many moms out there. If your mom is a coffee lover, consider a gift of delicious Deans Beans coffee! Deans Beans sells 100% organic shade grown coffee that they purchase directly from coffee coops around the world. As fair traders, they believe that relationships are important and for them, it’s all about respecting the farmers, the earth, their employees and you the consumer. Over the years, they have used money from the sales of Deans Beans coffee to address an extensive number of projects in the communities where the coffee beans are grown including reforestation projects, health clinics, building new schools, assisting with international organic certification and much more. Is your mom a bird lover? Try the Birdwatchers Blend, a blend that is certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center as Bird Friendly® Certified Coffee. Or maybe you’d prefer to create your own custom blend where you get to choose the percentage of beans based on origin and roast. How fun to make a custom coffee for your mom using beans from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Sumatra and more. You can even add a little decaf if that’s helpful!
Cozy hand knitted socks for mom!? Yes please! Fazl socks are hand knitted by artisans in the Himalayas of India. Soft and warm, the socks are made of acrylic and nylon, all non-allergenic and not itchy at all. Founded by a Canadian couple, Vanessa and Mike who actually met while volunteering at an orphanage in India, Fazl is committed to helping children in orphanages in India by dedicated half of their net profits to them. It’s staggering to think that India is home to a third of the world’s underweight children. Fazl is working hard to address this disparity while also helping to preserve the beautiful indigenous designs. Currently they are offering a special of free shipping when you buy two knitwear products.
Moms work hard all of the time. What better way to celebrate mom than to give her the day off to lounge in a hammock – of course a fair trade hammock! Cielo Hammocks are hammocks made by Maya women in the Yucatan region of Mexico. Cielo delivers all of the materials needed to the artisans and goes back to pick up the completed hammocks. This way, the artisans are not forced to put money up front or to take loans out in order to work. As a Certified B Corp, they strive to be poverty disruptors, to empower women to be heads of their family and leaders in their communities. Cielo has a non-profit arm that offers literacy classes, scholarships, drug, alcohol and violence workshops in the communities where the artisans live.
Hopefully we inspired you with some ideas to honor your mom this year no matter what your budget is or what your mom’s interests are. All of the brands here represent humans doing amazing things for other humans and the Earth and for that, we couldn’t be more proud!
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