Banana Leaf Cards

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Fair trade handmade greeting cards

Pressed flower greeting cards created from richly colored wildflowers and extraordinary grasses individually selected by each artisan, the Garden Collection stands apart for its sophisticated, gracefully meandering designs... and..... Banana Leaf cards handmade by Jimma Banana Art, a group of young Ethiopian women who support their families. Each pressed flower note card (pictured to the left) is made of handmade "tree-free" paper faced with real pressed wild flowers and native plantings from the foothills of the Himalayas. The cards are 4.25” wide by 5.75” high unfolding to 8.5” of writing space. The Hope For Women logo and mission statement is printed on the back.

The women select and pluck the flowers and fronds with care so as not to destroy the plants. Each card is unique, reflecting the artist’s own vision. Complementing each card is a self-sealing handmade envelope of natural papers embedded with flowers and leaves.

All of our packaging is made with 100% recycled paper, which in turn can be recycled, and our plastic wrap is made from EarthFirst PLA film, a compostable material. All printing is done using non-toxic vegetable based inks.

Banana Fiber Cards made by...Jimma Banana Art (JBA) is a project that was started with the hope of helping a group of young Ethiopian women living in rural Ethiopia earn money to support their families. Working with VSO volunteers on design and production techniques, the women are able to earn a sustainable wage from craft production. The intricate patterns of the fiber of the banana tree are only the beginning of the story of this card. Card stock is purchased in Addis Ababa, transported by bus to the rural village and carefully stored where it is not subject to dampness. Each piece of cardstock is cut in half, making the cards smaller than traditional greeting cards but producing no waste. Women cut banana fiber into shapes and carefully affix the pieces in a pattern that slowly forms a detailed picture of Ethiopian life. When 250 cards are completed, the number of cards that fit in the largest box that can be mailed without Ethiopian Customs approval (as there is no customs officials remotely close to the village), they are mailed to the US. Invariably, the box is delivered with a note from the local US post office apologizing for the twine barely holding the box together and the obviously long and difficult trek the cards made, not realizing that the box started in Ethiopia in the same shape. The boxes arrive unannounced, about one a month.

Individual styles may run out, so on occasion we may have to ask if you'd like replacements for a certain card.

Here are all the products in this category:

• Christmas Banana fiber cards from Ethiopia

• Everyday Banana fiber cards

• Pressed flower note cards