Handcrafting the Portuguese Soul
The easy way to say it is that we bring you 100% Portuguese sustainable, eco-friendly craft supplies, traditional techniques and handcrafted gifts. And while that may be true, something’s missing. The love and care we have for Portuguese traditions and culture is missing. And the love for craftwork. For the planet and its diversity. For artisan techniques and secular knowledge. Or, as we like to say, the Portuguese Soul. That’s what we bring to you. That’s what we do.
Portuguese - We are 100% Portuguese. From our raw materials to high skilled know-how and innovative technologies, we support secular activities, full of cultural and traditional impact. We learn from artisans and share their knowledge, and seek to connect small local producers to worldwide markets.
Sustainable - We are committed to sustainability, from the use of eco-friendly materials to the choice of local producers, both being a way of promoting local development and the balance of natural and human resources.
We are inspired by nature in every detail, from sourcing renewable or recyclable materials, to avoiding chemicals in our products or excluding plastic from our packaging. Making our products more natural has been our drive for innovation.
Handcrafted - We learn from unique techniques like the manufacturing process of ‘burel’, the know-how of transforming cork or the exquisite skills of the embroiderers.
We support the maker culture, we value what we have inherited and we continue to create, with our hands, this "unofficial" part of the culture that makes us unique and global.
Star Products
Our natural soul
Cork
Cork is genuinely sustainable and Portuguese. We are the world’s number one producers. From cork oak tree ecosystems, the montado, comes this incredible material, impossible to recreate in an artificial way. Cork use dates back thousands of years.
Folclore Crafts works with local suppliers to offer a large selection of cork materials, like cork fabric and paper, cork cord and straps, cork filling, cork balls, beads and discs, cork bark, natural cork sheets and many other unique products.
Our highlands’ soul
Burel
Burel is a boiled pure wool fabric which production follows long lasting traditions in Portugal. It’s a woven and felted fabric, becoming very compact and one of the most resistant fabrics in the world.
Coming from highlands, it offers a beautiful rustic texture, it’s versatile and easy working with, can be used in fashion items, such as jackets, capes, cardigans, bags, backpacks, belts, berets and necklaces. Its durability makes it also perfect for blankets, rugs, pillows and other home decor projects.
Our stitched soul
Embroidery
Inspired by the richness of Portuguese embroidery traditions, we offer kits for kids and grown-ups and embroidery supplies made in Portugal.
With our beginner embroidery kits, you’ll learn the first steps of a Portuguese secular art and you'll get to know more about Portugal, our traditions and folk culture.
Our range of pearl cotton floss, linens and traditional embroidery patterns reflects the uniqueness and diversity of our stitched soul.