These lovely hair barettes from a Kenyan women's cooperative self-help group have a fascinating history. They are made from the stem of the water hyacinth, harvested from nearby Lake Victoria. The stems are cut, dried, stripped, twisted and braided and then used to form a variety of beautiful and useful items - including this hair clip, held by a genuine African porcupine quill!

Yum! If you don't live in a cafe, lighting these candles is the next best thing - they're embedded chock-a-block with real coffee beans. Talk about a wonderful aroma! Large 3-wick candles, 14cm square x 11cm high.

Originating in the Far East, the painstaking art of lacquerware was brought to Mexico through Spanish Colonial trading networks, where motifs derived from the natural world were adopted by local craftsmen. Display on a stand, or hung on a wall - these are too beautiful to be covered up! 24 cm x 18 cm - multicolored against black background.

These stylish and sturdy shopping bags are made by a cooperative of women in East Africa. They harvest fibres from the sisal plant, which resembles the agave - large, sword-like leaves growing from a central cluster. Leaves are cut with a machete and the pulp stripped out to reveal fine soft fibres. These are then dyed with natural dyes derived from local bark, leaves and even anthill mud! After dying the fibres are woven into these lovely bags. A capacious 23cm high x 40cm wide.