According to Every Culture, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest countries in the world. But the country isn't void of personal expression through arts and crafts. According to the site, Haitians have a predilection for bright colors, which can be seen in their crafts. Many Haitian crafts are also influenced by the country's culture and its French roots.
Voodoo Flags
According to Haitian-Arts-Crafts.com, Haitian crafts are typically one-of-a-kind products that are often very labor intensive. An example is voodoo art, specifically voodoo flags. They're designed with beads and bright colors. Voodoo is the unofficial religion of Haiti which, according to Traveling Haiti, doesn't involve black magic or sorcery, but an idea that family exists as a domestic unit of spirits. These themes are often portrayed in their crafts, specifically that of voodoo flags. They're typically made from cloth, satin or silk materials and are often used in religious ceremonies.
Beaded Crafts
Crafting with beads allows Haitians to create colorful, diverse works of art, which is synonymous with Haitian crafts. One thing Haitians use beads for is to decorate bottles and containers. While this variety of art is of Haitian origin, its roots have spread elsewhere. Many communities now offer classes to teach people bead crafts similar to how Haitians do. Beading is a very time-consuming practice. Projects can take days to complete.
Banana Leaf Baskets
The banana plant is among the largest plants in the world, capable of reaching 25-foot heights. While they're perhaps best known for providing a a source of food, Haitians have used leafs from the plant and weaved them into baskets. Banana leafs can be woven into planting baskets, hampers and bowls. Aside from making useful products from such leaves, these Haitian crafts are also an example of sustainable design, and using the resources at-hand to create necessary goods.
Soapstone
According to One World Projects, soapstone hearts made by Haitian artists help artisans have a better life because these crafts are popular purchases among tourists. Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, carved for thousands of years. It's composed of a mineral talc and exists in areas where tectonic plates are subducted. In Haiti, artisans craft handheld souvenir heart stones from the rock. They also carve figurines.
