5 Unique Handmade Christmas Gifts from Nepal

It’s mid-december and christmas shopping is in full swing. Below are some great suggestions of meaningful and useful gifts that’ll help decorate your home and keep you warm. As with all Aji’s products, these wonderful handmade items are made by home-based elderly makers in Nepal.

Macrame Plant Hangers by Shiro Moktan

68 year old Shiro has many hobbies-- making macrame plant hangers is one of them. She makes two kinds: Dori Plant Hanger and Nanglo Plant Hanger. These are great for hanging indoor plants or using it to store fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. Shiro also has a passion for indoor plants and recently wrote a great guide for them.

Lumu Socks by Champa Devi Tuladhar

What better gift to give during Christmas than a pair of warm hand-knitted woolen socks? Knitting is like meditation for 77 year old Champa Devi. She has been knitting for the past 50 years and it helps keep her mind at peace. The word ‘lumu’ means warmth in Newari language. Champa Devi was featured on BBC and Nepali Times for her work.

Tapu Headwarmers by Sushila Sthapit

73 year old Sushila learned knitting from her mother. Today she’s a retired housekeeping supervisor who doesn’t believe in sitting idle. These warm hand-knitted headwarmers are perfect for riding around in a motorcycle during the cold winter months. They fit snugly around your ears. Just put on a helmet and you’re ready to roll. Sushila Sthapit was featured on Republica.

Poh Bracelets by Menuka Shrestha

Glass bead bracelets are trendy and inexpensive jewelry made by 58 year old Menuka Shrestha. Apart from making the beautiful and colorful Poh bracelet, she also enjoys working in her vegetable garden. Poh bracelets are made by meticulously stringing hundreds of tiny glass beads. They come in kids sizes and in Christmas colors!

Dhaka Handkerchief by Ram Kumari Shrestha

If you’re looking for a gift with Nepali flair, look no further than this cute 9x9 inches Dhaka Handkerchief made by 82 year old Ram Kumari Shrestha. Dhaka is an iconic Nepali fabric. These handkerchiefs are soft to touch so they can be used as baby wipes or they can just live in our pocket or purse. Ram Kumari was featured on BBC for her work.

By purchasing an Aji’s product, you are supporting our mission to empower the elderly live healthy and happy lives. You can order our products online in Kathmandu via our online shop. For international shipping including USA and UK, please visit our Etsy store. Merry Christmas!