About Us
A Bridge Between the Past and the Present: Ancestral Techniques Meet Modern Designs
At Siggy Handmade, our mission is to create innovative handmade goods with modern designs using ancestral techniques. We collaborate with artisans all over Guatemala to create beautiful and ethical home decor and wardrobe essentials and to generate prosperity in their communities.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world in which business is used for the greater good.
We believe that creating sustainable, long-term income opportunities built on collaboration and innovation is the most effective way to ignite social change and that adapting ancestral techniques to modern life is the best way to preserve Guatemala’s rich cultural legacies.
Our Purpose
We are the creative force that connects thriving artisan partners with satisfied clients. We develop unique, innovative, high-quality products that are imbued with the warmth of the human touch, and we do so in a way that is humane, ethical, and sustainable.
Our partnerships help end the cycle of poverty by providing financial stability to talented artisans and their communities, conserve Guatemalan traditions that have been passed down for generations, and bring warmth and humanity to the world.
Our average buying relationship with our artisan partners is between 10 and 15 years, although some have lasted almost 30 years. Because of the long-lasting relationships we have built with master artisans all over Guatemala and with our customers, we are able to offer an extensive collection of products made using a wide variety of high-quality materials and techniques that include weaving, embroidery, brocading, woodworking, leather working, carving, painting, and beading.
Our Promises
We are committed to:
- UNIQUE PRODUCTS
- We create unique, high-quality products for modern life using a wide variety of traditional Guatemalan techniques.
- THRIVING/PROSPEROUS ARTISAN PARTNERS
- We prioritize the prosperity of our artisan partners by creating opportunities for sustainable financial stability.
- SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
- We build sustainable business opportunities for the benefit of our artisan partners, our society, our customers, and our entire production chain.
- RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND BUSINESS
- Business with a human touch: Our relationships with everyone we work with are collaborative, respectful, caring, and go beyond business
Handwoven & Handcrafted with ♡
Almost every item we sell is made entirely by hand, making each piece unique and intrinsically valuable.
Our products are a reflection of the varied artistic skills of the people of Guatemala, each an expression of fierce beauty and artistry. While making our products, we strive to use sustainable, eco-friendly materials.
Our extensive and varied collection includes beautifully hand-crafted items for your home, kitchen, and living spaces, as well as fashion accessories, handmade jewelry, and seasonal items.
Behind each item is a powerful history of traditional techniques, patterns, and culture, which we are proud to share with our customers.
The Legend Behind ‘Casa de los Gigantes’
Our store in Antigua Guatemala is called Casa de los Gigantes. It takes its name from a seventeenth-century legend about the giants, larger-than-life wooden figurines who are paraded during religious events. According to the legend, during one such procession, an unexpected downpour forced the people carrying the giants to ask the owners of this house (the very same house in which our store is located today) for shelter. The house’s enormous doorways provided an ideal refuge for the giants. That evening, a curious boy peeked through the keyhole and was frightened by what he saw: huge men with swords glistening at their sides, standing poised for battle. The little boy ran through the streets, screaming for help.
Fearing that pirates were holed up in the house, the townspeople sounded the alarm, and all the churches’ bells began pealing. The soldiers arrived, assisted by neighbors, ready for a fight to the finish. They placed a cannon and fired the first cannonball, demanding surrender. Upon hearing the thunderous explosion of the cannon fire, the owner of the house, Don Cristobal de Alvarenga, appeared with his entourage of servants. Instantly, they were completely surrounded by armed soldiers.
Don Cristobal immediately pulled out a white flag. To convince the soldiers and townspeople of his guests’ identity, he threw open the huge doors. Suspecting a plot, the men fell to the ground, ready to fire. When they saw that the “pirates” were only wooden statues, the soldiers doubled over in laughter. That night, there was much joking among those who had mistaken the giants for pirates. From that time on, this house has been known as: Casa de los Gigantes, “THE HOUSE OF THE GIANTS.”