special scarf

"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.

Slow, silly and so sweet, these gentle sloths hang around the Christmas tree waiting for the snow...or maybe Santa! Each felted wool sloth is handcrafted by a talented group of artisans in India who decorate each one with different colored hats and scarves.

Felted wool kittens stay warm in their winter coats. Embroidered with cotton details, six cozy cats wear warm scarves and jackets in this set of ornaments from India. Ashish Mehta creates this set, featuring cats of assorted colors and breeds. The set arrives with a handy storage bag.