Etsy is an international community of designers, creators, artists and entrepreneurs that grows every day. In this series, we’re spinning the globe to take a closer look at country-specific maker scenes around the world. Check out our first post on Israel’s maker culture.
Latvia boasts a booming DIY community. The proof is in the amazing array of items offered by Latvian Etsy shops — intricate knits, expertly woven housewares, unique toys, and jewelry both subtle and statement making — made using both traditional and modern techniques.
Read on for a look into this large creative community in one of Europe’s smaller countries.
Craft is a Way of Life
“Latvians have always been good artisans and craftsmen,” say Lidija Hlinova and Jane Dorosenko, the fashion-forward duo behind Yayoi jewelry. Making things by hand is a given in this small country on the Baltic Sea. Alise Grauduže of DinDinToys, a shop full of wooden blocks and games made from birch wood harvested by her husband, notes that DIY starts at a very young age. “Girls learn how to knit, sew, crochet, embroider, and weave. Boys learn how to work with wood,” she says. “When they become adults, they continue to do what they have learned at school.” Anna and Ilze Zurina, the mother-daughter team behind SmArtAnna jewelry agree: “For us, creative culture is a common part of life — it is present in our work, hobbies, and family.”
The Republic of Latvia was founded in 1918, but in 1940, after the start of WWII, it was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union, which, after a short reign by Nazi Germany, kept control of the small country until it regained its independence in 1991. “My generation remembers the time of Soviet Union occupation, where there was a deficit of different goods and products — shop shelves were half-empty, there was no choice,” says Vija Petersone, who expertly weaves baskets, trays, and frames from a rich palette of wicker. “We were knitting and sewing because of necessity.”
The recent recession hit the country hard, contributing to its booming DIY culture. “More and more people [in Latvia] make things for themselves,” says Elina Sidauga, who screenprints geometric designs on totes and notebooks and handknits mittens for her shop MyLiveLove. “Salary level is not as high in Latvia as in other countries, but we have such excellent taste. So it brings us to the necessity of making things ourselves.”
With just over 2 million inhabitants, Latvia’s population is very small, and as Anna and Ilke say, “Since so many people are DIY masters, it is not easy to start a creative business and make a living from it.” That’s where Etsy comes in. “It was my dream to sell my own handmade products but it seemed unreal until I found Etsy,” says Sidauga. “So I can truly say that Etsy gave me a chance to make my dream come true.”
Shop the Scene
Here’s a selection of items proudly made in Latvia.
For more wonderful stories about Latvian Etsy sellers, check out these features from our archives:
Featured Shop: Ergretta Garzetta
Featured Shop: yellOkids
Featured Shop: ZIB Textile
Handmade Portraits: Yevgeniya’s Masks
What country’s makers would you like to see featured on the blog? Let us know in the comments!
127 comments
Jane Priser from JanePriserArts said 5 years ago
Wonderful and beautiful! I love everything!
Konstantin from 1100illustrations said 5 years ago
Good luck with your projects and Greetings from your sister country - Lithuania :)
Viktoria and Elena from LekaArt said 5 years ago
Wedding photo album is AMAZING!! <3
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 5 years ago
Very attractive!!!
Caroline Barbosa from OldSoulVintageLtd said 5 years ago
Oh my, beautiful finds! I love decorating our home with handmade items from all over this world as well as vintage goodies.
Natalie from HansHolzkopf said 5 years ago
very beautiful finds! great works!!
Clare and Richard Kapin from VarietyArtworks said 5 years ago
Wonderful items! The basket is probably my favorite, though!
Cristy Ramos from ArtisanBathandBody said 5 years ago
Wonderful choices from wonderful sellers! Congratulations to all included! Amazing selections!
StillVintage from StillVintage said 5 years ago
beautiful work shown on this post
Quality Handmade Items from WhisperingOak said 5 years ago
The baskets are beautiful
Pepitas House from PepitasStudio said 5 years ago
Handmade and beautiful
Lucy from LucyLovesPaper said 5 years ago
Wow! So many beautiful and unique finds. Thanks for sharing!
Helen Harwood from FatBerry said 5 years ago
Such a fresh and lovely ideas! Good Team
Kelly from KikuPaper said 5 years ago
Excellent story - especially love the knitting.
ArabellaReason from ArabellaReason said 5 years ago
Exceptional work from very talented artisans, I love to order from Latvia! You mentioned what country to feature next, I suggest Portugal.
Svetlana from ErinlesHouse said 5 years ago
This post makes me feel very proud! :)
Lowe Jewelry from lowelowejewelry said 5 years ago
Wonderful!
Maria from Kampsun said 5 years ago
Greetings from Estonia! I'm amazed by the beautiful work and design in Latvia. And I can totally relate to what Anna and Ilke say about there being so many DIY artists in the Baltic states and it is really difficult to start a creative business here. I love that Etsy gives so many artisans the opportunity to make dreams come true!
Anna from SmArtAnna said 5 years ago
Wonderful story! Thank you so much, Lisa!
Suwachi from WoodenPencilCo said 5 years ago
wow...I have no idea Estonia etsy community creates such a beautiful products..thanks for sharing!
Tiffany Kerr from TwillandPrint said 5 years ago
I'm always saying we should go to Latvia 'because something is clearly going on over there', so many of my favourite Etsy shops are Latvian. A country of clearly, excellent taste!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 5 years ago
Wow. Really beautiful finds!
ywett from vintagefullhouse said 5 years ago
Great and loved!Congratulations to all!
Asma from AsmaOriginal said 5 years ago
Amazing finds! I love these products! Such a creative country!
Ieva from Dreamzzzzz said 5 years ago
Wow, so great! Proud of all Latvians :)
Vitaliy Trykoza from oakwoodwork said 5 years ago
https://www.etsy.com/shop/oakwoodwork
Una from HouseOfCeramics said 5 years ago
I am so happy you've featured Latvian artisans in this piece. I grew up in Latvia and as long as I can remember, we always were making, growing, re-purposing, recycling... Not having much (during the Soviet era) forced us to be creative with our resources, however, by now this resourcefulness has become a second nature for many Latvians. While today I reside outside of the country, every time I go back, I am pleasantly surprised by the new designs and products featured in the brick and mortar retail spots in Riga. The same could be said about the Latvian run Etsy shops. Congratulations to everyone featured in this article! Apsveicu!
Marta DQ from tribomo said 5 years ago
Nice finds! The album is gorgeous!
Vija from Viyaswickerworks said 5 years ago
Wonderful story, Lisa! Thank you for sharing our works and names of our Larvian artists to the people of over the world! You do really hearwarming work!
Ann Cosgrove from acbcDesign said 5 years ago
Great story and such beautiful creations! Congrats to all featured!
Ilze - yellOkids - from yellOkids said 5 years ago
Lovely story! :) Congrats to all featured! :)
Renate from 2Crafty4You said 5 years ago
Love the knitting, very creative. Thanks for sharing this nice story.
Elaine Dillard from AldaandCompany said 5 years ago
Beautiful creations!
Sarah Flood from SarahOfSweden said 5 years ago
Gorgeous picks! Thank you for sharing!
SW from HomeDecorLab said 5 years ago
Beautiful and inspiring! Thanks for sharing and congrats to all featured!
Kasia B from ShesGUtSSY said 5 years ago
What an interesting read...my favourite series! I love reading about the craft communities all over the world
Leda Design from LedaDesign said 5 years ago
Wonderful finds!
Dace and Sarmite from SweetMeadowSweet said 5 years ago
Great! Proud of you all!
Laura from LaRoHandmades said 5 years ago
so beautiful! wonderful creations, great country!
Marianne Wille from WilleWorks said 5 years ago
Love this feature on Latvia ~ amazing artists!
IKA PARIS from ikabags said 5 years ago
Wooden Toby is super !!
Kristine from Feltedcreatures said 5 years ago
Riga (the capital of Latvia) is announced as European Capital of Culture 2014 - so everyone is welcomed to our beautiful country this summer! There will be so many cultural events and fair trades - lot of possibilities to meet our artists "face to face".
Amy from fieldtrip said 5 years ago
way to work it latvia! love learning about your craft tradition :)
Rita Bose from ofthingspretty said 5 years ago
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful article on artisans from Lativia. I am from India, and I love meeting artists from different parts of the world. Etsy has truly made the world a smaller place.
Peggy McCallum from InMaterial said 5 years ago
I love this article. It's great to learn about other countries and the amazing artisans there. More, please!
Renata and Jonathan from RenataandJonathan said 5 years ago
Great stores. Congrats! Go Latvia! :)
Anastasija Zolotarjova from MapleApple said 5 years ago
So proud of us! Great finds! :)
LivingVintage from LivingVintage said 5 years ago
Great article. Wonderful work.
Fybur from Fybur said 5 years ago
LOve all the work! unique creations!
Inga from Tuttolv said 5 years ago
Congrats to all featured!!! Proud to be a part of Etsy Latvia Team!
Patricia Zuniga from Whisperdolls said 5 years ago
I love everything!!! :0)
Lucia from LuciaStofej said 5 years ago
Great idea for an article, looking forward to reads about other artists :)
Elizabeth from AtolyeMetiista said 5 years ago
How interesting and what beautiful work was featured! I love this new series and look forward to upcoming posts!
Ilze F. from ARTEVIJEWELLERY said 5 years ago
Amazing crafters:)) keep on!
Debra Townsend from DouglasSweets said 5 years ago
Great feature...such beautiful craftsmanship!!!
Ogu Ragana from OguRagana said 5 years ago
This acticle was a heart-warming surprise to read! I really find many Latvian artists having great design ideas, and, as I'm getting ready to open my own shop on Etsy, it gives me a lot of courage when I see people from my country making their dreams come true.
Gwynne Collins from DaysLongGone said 5 years ago
Great seeing other countries being featured! Love the finds!
Andreia Ferreira from SuspirobyAF said 5 years ago
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
BarDulce from BarDulce said 5 years ago
Nice items! Cute ideas :)
monicaasharp said 5 years ago
I love this! Next up: Finland, please!
seasidecloth from seasidecloth said 5 years ago
Great eye for design !
Deb Vasbinder from BabyCuteBaby said 5 years ago
Lovely creations and finds - Enjoyed reading the story Thanks for sharing!
Suska from AmasAtticTreasures said 5 years ago
Beautiful items. workmanship is fine, my grandparents came to America through Riga in early 1900's, I love seeing the designs, both new and traditional. Best luck to all the Latvian artisans. Thank you for this article, I'd love to see other countries featured in time.
Angie Fox from foxfragaria said 5 years ago
Thanks for this warm and engaging article that is dedicated to my home country! This was joyous and inspiring. And what a beautiful selections! I even discovered some new fellow artists. Proud to be Latvian! Congrats to all featured!
Voula Kambouris from Voulashomemadeprod said 5 years ago
Great feature, Congrats.
Kathy Johnson from kathyjohnson3 said 5 years ago
What beautiful items! You can tell the care and time that was put into them, great finds!
Rosalia from daydreamjewels said 5 years ago
Beautiful work of art !!! Congrats to all :)
Mike Ibarra from Sterlingsilverrings said 5 years ago
Just wonderful!!! :)
Chrisy McConnell from ARTDECADENCE said 5 years ago
Fabulous! Obviously a lot of talented people hang out in Latvia!
Dora Belle from ThisWayUpcycle said 5 years ago
My mother was born in Poland in 1943 to Latvian parents (who later emigrated to Australia). She visited Latvia for the first time a few years ago and because tourists rarely speak the language, was quite a hit! She was in awe of all the beautiful architecture, craft, and jewellery. I can see from this article where I get my creative instincts!
Meg from ME2Designs said 5 years ago
Wonderful spotlight on the creative minds in Latvia! I love the baskets, the album and the leather necklace, and so many of my favorites are Latvia shops. Thank you also for using the image of my Latvia brooch :)
VINTAGE NOW from ESTATENOW said 5 years ago
Great stuff and very good ideas...thank you.
Jeanne B from PruAtelier said 5 years ago
It pleases me to no end to see what talent some of the former Soviet Bloc countries have! A perfect example of what industrious people can do with little or nothing and how the skills are never forgotten but handed down to each generation. America can learn something from this!
Vineta from ViViCreative said 5 years ago
Beautiful Handcrafts!
Natalia from KMalinkaVintage said 5 years ago
Awesome story!
Dace Reihmane from cikucakuu said 5 years ago
Thank you for article! Proud to be Latvian!
Vineta designer from AmberSistersdesign said 5 years ago
Great, Latvia made it to the 1st page! ;) Amber Sisters designs are family herited techniques combined with modern designs, made by three sisters, made in LV.
glitterandstones from glitterandstones said 5 years ago
Very creative handcraft!! Thank you for sharing:)
Donka Tsaneva from PersaBags said 5 years ago
Excellent masterpieces! Congrats!
Lauma from PixiesForest said 5 years ago
That is really great story! Congratulations to all featured! I am proud to be Latvian!
Sofia from sofiasobeide said 5 years ago
So many talented Latvians!
Aleka and Georgia from FishesMakeWishes said 5 years ago
I love this series! Voting for Greece next :-)
Georgia from JewelMeShop said 5 years ago
Great sellers! I love the wooden bike hanger!
Catherine Maria Charalambous from BouncyTree said 5 years ago
Such great finds. Love the weaving work, stunning.
Rota from RotasCrafts said 5 years ago
I even didn't know about these wonderful creations in my country. Etsy brings together. :) PRIEKĀ!
Aiste from DropOfAmber said 5 years ago
Greetings from Lithuania! I think all Baltic states have a lot of crafty people! I would love to see a feature for Lithuania as well. My team can help with providing information :)
Crochet Ella from Crochetella said 5 years ago
So many fabulous artists!
CozyWood from COZYWOODshop said 5 years ago
Amazing!!!
Kristina Beganovic from blackbirdbag said 5 years ago
I love this presentation. Such lovely shops! I'd love to see Slovenia featured - the smallest European Country. Visit Etsy Team Slovenia.
Kaspi Crafts from KaspiCrafts said 5 years ago
Such lovely work!
Carter Seibels Singh from WomanShopsWorld said 5 years ago
I am frequently impressed by the quality of work that I see on etsy coming out of Latvia. So nice to see this feature, and so much beautiful craftsmanship on one page. Off to explore more new-to-me-shops! I love these Etsy Around the World features!
Francesca from OliCreations said 5 years ago
I've noticed there are so many beautiful shops from Latvia! I think this idea of making things yourself to avoid spending is incredibly relevant lately, especially when you are naturally attracted to beautiful objects but have a limited budget. I spend so much time knitting for my store that I never have time to knit stuff for myself and I often end up buying it just cause it is quicker but then regretting it because the quality is much worse. I need to carve out more time to knit for myself... I think being able to rely on your own two hands rather than on a store for the things you need is a great gift!
Ele from minouette said 5 years ago
Great finds! Amazing that there are so many of my favorites from a country I wouldn't have thought had a large representation on Etsy.
Rasa from happyment said 5 years ago
Wonderful story! Congrats to all featured! Apsveicu!
Colette and Kathlyn from BountifulWoods said 5 years ago
The premise of this article comes as no surprise to me as so many items I love on Etsy come from Latvia. It's wonderful to see such a concentration of craftsmenship, artistry, and creativity. Great article!
Beard Oil from BeardOil said 5 years ago
This is great! Thanks
Deodorant Shop from deodorantshop said 5 years ago
Love this!
Sarah Blue from BluebirrrdDreams said 5 years ago
What a wonderful feature!
Liene Berzina from LieneCreations said 5 years ago
I'm proud to come from this beautiful country. :)
Justine Muffet from MsMuffetsTuffets said 5 years ago
It's great to have collections from specific countries highlighted. Thanks so much. Being from the US, I always find the more unique products are from other, smaller countries. I love seeing the flavor and traditions of each country reflected in the beautiful creations. Thank you for taking the time to research and interview--so all our lives can be enriched by a closer connection to these artists. The breadth of the Etsy community is amazing! Justine
Nancy from anotherghostquilts said 5 years ago
Exquisite work from little Latvia!
Aga from AgasJourney said 5 years ago
Beautiful creations. huge congrats to all Latvian artists and designers!
Anita from AnitasHandmade said 5 years ago
Very nice story! Thank you so much!
Rianne van Maaren from RiannevanMaaren said 5 years ago
Great! :)
Imants from YARISart said 5 years ago
Wonderful story! I am proud that I am from the Latvia!
elina from mylivelove said 5 years ago
Amazing post! Thanks a lot for feature!
Zanda Baha from ZanziBach said 5 years ago
Thank you for this article! Love to be part of this country and yes we really are amazing crafters :)
Jennifer Presler from IlluminativeHarvest said 5 years ago
Great article, love the finds!
fancy4u from BrushAndFeather said 5 years ago
such beautifully designed and created items, wonderful post.
Dawn from LaTouchables said 5 years ago
Wonderful article on a small country with enormous talent. I'd like to see more of the European countries highlighted on a regular basis. I'd enjoy seeing Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Bulgaria, Poland, Greece...and while we're at it, South Africa, Russia, and so on.
helidonful from Helidonstitch said 5 years ago
Thank you for this great article! And thank you for portraying artisans from the Baltic area, with small countries and small populations. The whole region is so very rich in various craft traditions, which live on in the works of these modern artisans.
Maksims Sadurskis from WeAreChrome said 5 years ago
What a pity, you did not wrote about us, another Latvian bike shelf FIXA maker.
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 5 years ago
Great article! Wonderful items!
Sarah Sides from SarahSidesMadeIt said 5 years ago
I'm really enjoying learning about new cultures through these posts!
Anastasia Smirnoff from artbystasia said 5 years ago
I am from Latvia myself. So happy to see lovely thing made with love!
Fields Of Vintage from FieldsOfVintage said 5 years ago
Very talented culture. Nice selections.
Sandra Paegle from SandrasMagic said 5 years ago
I am proud that I am from Latvia!
wachira wongaramwilai from WachiWachiShop said 5 years ago
Great! i love it. Thank you. ^^
tilisa from PandoraBracelet said 5 years ago
I really like your work https://www.etsy.com/shop/PandoraBracelet?ref=si_shop
Anna from AnnaGrincuka said 5 years ago
Thank you so much!
MaksimRaduga from MaksimRainbowArt said 5 years ago
Show us Estonia
finnhuizi said 5 years ago
like it!
Anthi from AnthisBatikArt said 5 years ago
Wonderful finds!
Koren Kwan from GarasuWonderland said 5 years ago
lovely works!
Daila Belozerova from D29accessories said 5 years ago
Fabulous and Exclusive!
Indra Hauka from Indrasideas said 4 years ago
Great! i love it. Thank you.
Paulina R from photoplasticon said 2 years ago
Amazing pieces.