GrasShanghai
Top shop for gifts.
Buyers bought gifts from this shop and gave them 5-star reviews!
Announcement
Due to disruption from COVID-19 and potential carrier delays, your package may not arrive on the date originally scheduled. Shipping to the US is especially affected. From the pre-covid 3-4 weeks, right now it takes 6-8 weeks. Please be assured that I will keep you informed as I get new information from the carrier. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions.
2) we will continue putting medical level masks in the package, 10 MASKS per order, this is for free.
Announcement
Due to disruption from COVID-19 and potential carrier delays, your package may not arrive on the date originally scheduled. Shipping to the US is especially affected. From the pre-covid 3-4 weeks, right now it takes 6-8 weeks. Please be assured that I will keep you informed as I get new information from the carrier. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions.
2) we will continue putting medical level masks in the package, 10 MASKS per order, this is for free.
Items
Featured items
All Items
Reviews
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beld79821 on Mar 27, 2021
5 out of 5 starsI really love the items shown. I ordered them and unfortunately they arrived quite damaged. I was very disappointed, but when the vendor learned what had happened, a very prompt and sincere effort was made to rectify the problem. I was pleased (and quite pleasantly surprised) that I was allowed to choose a replacement or a refund. The problem was corrected quickly. I am very thankful for the integrity that was shown.
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Mariana on Mar 19, 2021
5 out of 5 starsBeautiful table, we absolutely love it. It's really well made and super light weight.
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David on Mar 16, 2021
5 out of 5 starsI got the XL. It’s good size, excellent quality. It’s expensive and took 2 months to arrive but I’m glad I got this over a lower quality item.
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Shana on Mar 11, 2021
5 out of 5 starsGreat product! Communication is very prompt! Shipping is lengthy, however, so worth the wait!
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jessica on Mar 4, 2021
4 out of 5 starsIt shipped a lot faster than I expected from reviews. The weave is tight and the whole piece is pretty solid for a woven table. Only issues I had were there was a dent on one side, and some hot glue on the top center. I probably wouldn't buy something like that in a store, but I am not about to return ship to China. I would buy again from the store, but I would send them a message first about expectations.
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kgondal7516 on Apr 14, 2021
5 out of 5 starsIncredible quality and comfortable. The seller is very kind too!
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sundaycrossword on Apr 14, 2021
5 out of 5 starsLove my items! GrasShanghai is exactly what Etsy is about <3 supporting artisans, no matter where in the world, with Etsy offsetting carbon emissions costs.
About GrasShanghai
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so, this is the shop owner, Betty:) at a small village in Masai Mara National Reserve of Kenya when working with UNEP
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a corner of our warehouse with finished and semi-finished products
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mother and daughter together
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my uncle making the frame of the storage baskets
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wild cattail grass in summer
Bringing China to your home-Where ancient straw plaiting meets modern life
I grew up in a remote village in northern China, which has remained relatively untouched by modern civilization or the nation’s economic boom. The silver lining in this is that the natural environment of the areas has been well preserved, with hectares of cattail and reeds flowering in countess small rivers, lakes and farms.
For over 1000 years since the great Tang Dynasty of China, women in my hometown of Hubin County have been using cattail and reeds to hand-make shoes, bags, cushions, beddings, baskets, fans and other essential household items. It is the one and only place in China, and perhaps around the world, where this unique tradition is still practised. The handcraft comes in hand in time of need: my mother, grandmother, and the mother of my grandmother all kept their family warm in winter with the elaborately-woven cattail shoes and beddings.
Over centuries, time has remained frozen in this small county, along with the technique. In summer, men from the countryside will go together to collect the cattails that grow in shallow waters of the lakes, rivers and wetlands, where the environment has been preserved in its pristine state. When transported from the wild to the villages, women of the family will then take the fresh grass and lay them out in front of the houses or on the country road to dry them out by natural sunlight. The dried plants will be carefully filtered according to quality, and then stored in the farmers’ houses.
Everyday, women will take out some small portion of the plant and soak it in clean water so that it is soft enough for weaving. For women in Hubin, it is their way of living: rise early to make breakfast for the family, then those in the neighborhood will gather in a chosen woman’s house or in the Hutong (a traditional Chinese alleyway) to work together, weaving all kinds of crafts from cattails. While working, they bond – talking, laughing and gossiping. This tradition is passed from mothers to daughters, making the women of my hometown both financially independent and socially bonded.
Sadly, with the rise of factories in China and the modernization in society, this time-honored tradition is slowly fading from the world. However, it is still preserved by a few women in my hometown who are determined not to let this craft die, and wish to share their beautiful creations with you. By buying only one of the hand-made artifacts produced by the locals in days-long, diligent work, you will support our movement to maintain one piece of China's rich and beautiful tradition.
Find the lovely items here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrasShanghai
Shop members
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Betty TIAN
Owner, Designer, Photographer
Betty's role is to design and develop new products with the mother; creating the listings and do the photography for all listings; weaving and creating new accessories for the shoe collection.
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Ranai LI
Maker, Designer, Owner
Mrs. Ranai LI is the mother of the family and she does 50% of the weaving of the standard products and works with Betty to develop new products.
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Chengjun TIAN
Owner, Maker, Shipper
The father is mainly responsible for collecting and drying out cattail plants; he is a very good weaver himself who does around 20% of the weaving; he is also the logistic and shipping person in the family.
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Tian Ning
Customer Service
Tian Ning is responsible for order management.
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Lisa
Customer Service
Lisa is responsible for order management and coordination with logistics (China Post).
Shop policies
We are dedicated to making 100% organic products with raw materials like cattails, cornhusk and wood. I would like to call it the Vegetarians in products, being green, all plants, and chemical and sweat free:)
I hope you will enjoy the products as much as I do. And thanks for stopping by to check out my shop profile.
Best,
Betty :)
Accepted payment methods
Returns and exchanges
I gladly accept returns and exchanges
I don't accept cancellations
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
- Custom or personalized orders
- Perishable products (like food or flowers)
- Digital downloads
- Intimate items (for health/hygiene reasons)
Returns and exchange details
If the buyer fails to collect the package from the postal offices or customs, and the package gets returned to China, the buyer will be held responsible for any costs for a second products and shipping fee.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Payment
Shipping
We use China Post for shipping, which takes 3-4 weeks to reach almost all the countries. Due to the COVID lockdowns, shipping to the US can take to 5-6 weeks right now. The fair varies according to the weight and size of the products.