Mohammed blowing and shaping a glass bauble

In the Old City of Hebron there is still an area known as ‘Glass-Blower Quarter’. Glass blowing is a centuries old tradition and a skill passed through families, generation after generation. 

Today in Hebron, Muslim glass-blowers like Mohammed use their incredible skill and traditional techniques to craft exquisitely unique decorations from recycled glass. Reflecting on the glass-blowing process, Mohammed commented, 

‘Every bauble is different – a bit like a snowflake’, 

an interesting thought from a resident of Hebron where snow is such a rare phenomenon, but a reminder that every Bethlehem Bauble is uniquely beautiful, created right in the heart of the Holy Land.

Bethlehem Baubles are made from recycled glass
this makes them more eco-friendly and also a lot more robust

For Jacob, glassblowing is more than just a craft or a career - it is a rite of passage and an ancestral heritage - his family have been blowing glass for over 20 generations! Jacob lives and works in Hebron, supplying hand-blown glass decorations for Bethlehem Baubles. Walking into his workshop is like walking into a cave of wonders, with decorative glass hanging in every available space and glinting in the light from the rustic furnaces in which they were carefully and expertly formed. Jacob's sons are now learning the art of glassblowing and following in his footsteps as master artisans. 

Jacob and his wife in their Hebron workshop

The carefully crafted globes of glass are sent from Hebron to Bethlehem where the Christian ladies of the BFTA – Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans, hand-paint them with delicate designs before threading them with ribbon and packaging them in fully-recyclable, robust, plastic free packaging to be shipped (literally by sea) over to Ros, Founder of Bethlehem Baubles, in the UK. 

Selim works at the BFTA Craft Village in Bethlehem
hand-painting glass decorations for Bethlehem Baubles

Selim is just one of around 40 artisans working on Bethlehem Baubles at the fantastic, air-conditioned Craft Village – located in the very town where Christ was born. Selim has 4 children and has been honing her painting skills for over 20 years. Selim clearly enjoys her work and told us, 

‘There are not many part-time jobs for mothers like me in Bethlehem and life has been very tough this last year. 
This income is very welcome and important to our family.’ 

So, as you enjoy the glint of the gleaming glass bauble on your tree, consider the long journey that it has been on, much like the journey that Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. Give thanks for every life that has been changed for the better by your shopping and remember every person who has a had a hand in bringing this treasure from the heart of the Holy Land to the heart of your home.

Visit the Bethlehem Baubles website
Follow Bethlehem Baubles on Facebook
Read more about the BFTA here.