Hands-on workshops at Talleh Cultural Center in Abu Dis, Jerusalem, led by our artisans. No experience needed, and all materials are included. Groups, schools and private sessions are welcome.
Traditional Palestinian Chair Weaving
₪350 per person · the chair you weave is yours to take home
Weave the seat of a traditional Palestinian straw chair in a three-hour, hands-on workshop at Talleh, and take the chair home with you. Guided by an experienced artisan, you will learn the techniques used to weave and restore the straw-seated chairs found in Palestinian homes. The chair, straw and tools are all included in the price.
The woven straw chair is part of everyday life in Palestinian homes, cafés and courtyards. In this workshop you weave a complete seat on a wooden chair frame: preparing the straw, setting up the pattern, weaving and tightening each round, and finishing the corners.
What you will learn
- How to prepare the straw for weaving
- Setting up the weave on a chair frame
- Weaving and tightening the seat pattern
- Finishing the corners and the centre
- How to care for and repair a straw seat
Included in the price
- A wooden chair that you weave and take home
- All straw and tools
- Guidance from an experienced Talleh artisan
- A certificate of participation from Talleh
Duration: 3 hours · Level: intermediate · Location: Talleh Cultural Center, Abu Dis, Jerusalem
How to register
Message us on WhatsApp with your name, the number of participants and your preferred date, and we will confirm your place and the next available session.
Handbuilding Pottery
₪600 per person · all clay, tools and materials included
Learn to shape clay by hand in a three-hour, hands-on workshop at Talleh in Abu Dis. Guided by a Talleh artisan, you will use the pinch, coil and slab techniques to make your own functional and decorative pieces. No experience is needed, and all clay and tools are included.
This beginner workshop introduces the foundations of hand-building pottery, the oldest way of working clay and one still practised in Palestinian villages today. You will prepare the clay, learn three core building techniques, decorate your work and finish it ready for firing.
What you will learn
- How to prepare clay and use hand-building tools
- The pinch, coil and slab techniques
- Simple surface decoration inspired by Palestinian motifs
- How to finish and dry pieces before firing
Included in the price
- All clay, tools and materials
- Guidance from a Talleh artisan throughout the workshop
- A certificate of participation from Talleh
Duration: 3 hours · Level: beginner · Location: Talleh Cultural Center, Abu Dis, Jerusalem
How to register
Message us on WhatsApp with your name, the number of participants and your preferred date, and we will confirm your place and the next available session.
Traditional Straw Weaving
₪120 per person · all straw and tools included
Learn traditional Palestinian wheat-straw weaving in a two-hour, hands-on workshop at Talleh. A Talleh artisan shows you how straw is prepared and coiled into the colourful plates and baskets of Palestinian village homes. All straw and tools are included.
Straw weaving is one of Palestine’s oldest crafts: village women have long coiled wheat straw into trays and baskets for serving bread and fruit and storing grain. In this beginner workshop you will learn how the straw is prepared, and how to start and build a coiled piece with traditional colour patterns.
What you will learn
- How wheat straw is dyed, soaked and prepared
- Starting the coil at the centre of a plate
- The stitch that builds and binds the spiral
- Working coloured straw into traditional patterns
Included in the price
- All straw, needles and tools
- Guidance from a Talleh artisan throughout the workshop
- A certificate of participation from Talleh
Duration: 2 hours · Level: beginner · Location: Talleh Cultural Center, Abu Dis, Jerusalem
How to register
Message us on WhatsApp with your name, the number of participants and your preferred date, and we will confirm your place and the next available session.