Earth day is April 22 and here at Mira Fair Trade, we recognize a responsibility to all living beings as well as Mother Earth. In order to reduce our environmental footprint, we actively promote the reuse of as many materials as possible. Below you'll find our top 5 Earth Day gifts.
1. Bike Chain Frame The most widely used forms of transportation in India are motorbikes and bicycles, so it's not a surprise that there is an abundance of leftover, broken and unused bike chains lying around. Our artisans recognized this and in an effort to be "green" used this material as a base for decoration! Adapting this material to modern and functional design, our artisans create hooks, desk art, picture frames, and more from the bike chain.
2. Copper Coated Bells The Luhar family has been making copper coated bells for years and the tradition has been passed down from father to son. The bells begin as metal sheets once used as water drums or for other purposes and are bought by our artisans. The metal is then outlined so each bell can be cut with the least amount of metal going to waste. Once cut, the bells are transformed into their round shapes using basic hand tools and riveted together. They are then coated with copper shavings and submerged in the fire to create a rustic and distinct look. The last step in making the bells is to hand tune each one to perfection. Each bell design has its own pitch that the artisans match.
3. Sari Bells Just like the traditional copper coated bells, our sari bells are also made from recycled water drums. What's special about these bells, and what makes them a great Earth Day gift, is that they hang on colorful, upcycled sari ribbon. Beautiful and ethical - the perfect gift for the eco-conscious person in your life
4. Silver Wrapped Wire Birds Wire and metal crafting is made by artisans at Johra & Bohra Handicrafts. These artisans create all of their products using reclaimed metal wire and metal pieces. Our popular wrapped wire Snowmen, Birds, and Angels are also made out of reclaimed metal wire.
5. Lotus Chime Everyone's favorite Lotus chime (as well as our other chimes) is made from repurposed flat sheets/pieces of scrap metal and are created by using basic hand tools and machinery. This craft is practiced in Behat in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Do you have a favorite product that we didn't include? Tell us in the comments below!