special christmas gifts

These decorative bells ring for joy and hope in a beautiful set of ornaments from Guatemala. They are crafted by hand with recycled paper chosen to match the cotton cords. From Argentina and Francisco, the ornaments are crafted by people with special needs.

Please note there can be slight differences in color, shape and motifs according to the availability of newspaper.

This sweet nativity scene is the original creation of Zoila Davila in Peru. Working in ceramic, she carefully crafts and paints the figures of Joseph, the three kings bearing gifts and Mary, holding the baby Jesus. Their piously downcast eyes add a special reverence to the five-piece set.

"In Guatemala, we have more than 720 bird species, but few people seem to care about preserving their habitat. This is my way of showing some of our tropical birds and sharing my respect for nature," Jose Arriola says. Working in ceramic, he creates a set of six ornaments. A toucan, a scarlet macaw and a crested carpenter bird are joined by the almost-endangered blue ocellated turkey and two bright parrots. The ornaments arrive with a pouch of handloomed cotton.

After the birth of Jesus, a wise man came from far away to pay respect and honour the miracle God had given to the world. Depicted as a serene gentleman carrying a special gift for baby Jesus, the wise man dangles from a natural fiber cord in this papier mache ornament by Armenian artisan Rima Petrosyan, who paints the piece by hand for a magical look.

Thirty different species of birds are represented in this amazing mini ornament set from Jose Arriola in Guatemala. The petite ornaments are crafted from ceramic and carefully painted in colourful detail. The set of 30 arrives in a cotton storage bag.