Behind the Scenes: The Making of Our Holiday Clutches
A step-by-step look at the work of the Artesãos de Porto de Sauípe Associados, who hand-craft our holiday clutches and baskets in Bahia, Brazil.
- By Stephanie Yadid
A step-by-step look at the work of the Artesãos de Porto de Sauípe Associados, who hand-craft our holiday clutches and baskets in Bahia, Brazil. The women in the association are involved in every step of the making of these beautiful raffia items – from collecting the leaves to sewing together the final creations.
Step 1 – Raffia Collection
Collection of the piaçava raffia in the local forests.
Steps 2 - Boiling & Drying
The green raffia leaves are boiled and then rolled up in large circles to dry.
Step 3 – Raffia Strips
The dry raffia leaves are cut into thinner strips. 
Step 4 – Dyeing
The raffia strips are boiled again and dyed.
Step 5 - Braiding
The dyed raffia is braided, creating large strips that will later be rolled up.
Step 6 – Sewing It All Together
The braids are sewn together using a special “thread” extracted from the Ouricuri palm tree.
Step 7 – Creating the Clutch
The clutches are produced, sewn into the final design.
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