The Multicolores Rug Hooking Cooperative in Guatemala

Honey Bee Hive is proud to offer the wonderful designs of The Multicolores Rug Hooking Cooperative in Guatemala. Honey Bee Hive donates 40% of the proceeds from sales of these patterns to support Multicolores.

Founded in 2013 as the first rug hooking cooperative in Guatemala, Multicolores is a group of over forty women artisans scattered across five communities in the highlands of Guatemala. As Mayas the women value their textile heritage and look upon rug hooking as an evolution of their textile repertoire and a way of keeping their rich cultural history alive.
The hooked rugs have their origins in the Semana Santa (Easter week) rugs which have been adorning the streets of Guatemala for hundreds of years. As an alternative to colored sawdust, fruit, vegetables and flowers, the hooked rugs are innovative in their use of 100% recycled materials to make the rugs. This is good for the environment and an inexpensive local source of hooking material.
The artists take their design inspiration from the traditional blouses (huipils), skirts (cortes) and belts (fajas) worn by Maya women.

Joining Multicolores has brought many positive changes to the women’s lives. Through rug sales they have been able to earn a regular income, which helps them to support their families, improve their homes, and send their children to school. Few Maya women travel beyond their villages, being part of Multicolores has opened up new horizons, providing opportunities to build cross-cultural friendships and share their craft with the world.

To learn more about the Multicolores Rug Hooking Cooperative in Guatemala, visit http://multicolores.org f: multicoloresguatemala