paintings

Indian artisan Yusra's inventive holiday ornaments are hand crafted entirely from recycled paper. First, the artisan cuts the paper into strips of all different sizes, then rolls the strips into coiled shapes. Each ornament receives a coat of colorful paint and a jute string for hanging.

Said to bring happiness and freedom, fish are one of the eight sacred symbols of Buddha, inspiring this pair of ornaments from Thailand. Somyot Sawasdee crafts each ornament by hand by recycling paper with cement. Finished with green and gold paint, each fish hangs from a manila rope.

Said to bring happiness and freedom, fish are one of the eight sacred symbols of Buddha, inspiring this trio of ornaments from Thailand. Somyot Sawasdee creates a different design for each fish ornament, which he crafts by hand by recycling paper with cement. Finished with green and gold paint, each ornament hangs from a black cord.

Have an eco-friendly holiday this year with Yusra's dragonfly ornaments, which are crafted entirely from recycled paper. First, the Indian artisan cuts the paper into strips of all different sizes, then rolls the strips into coiled shapes. Two ornaments receive a coat of colorful paint, while the remaining two are left plain. Each ornament is equipped with a jute string for hanging.

Argentina and Francisco present this cheerful set of Christmas star ornaments on behalf of the artisans who crafted them. They live with different physical or mental skills. They craft the four stars by hand by recycling newspapers and painting them in bright red, blue, yellow and green only on one side. "By assisting these young artisans earn from their craft, we are helping them on the road to being self-sustainable," believe Argentina and Francisco, who founded the workshop in memory of their daughter.