These handmade, community-based creations by women-led startups help you reflect the 2020 spirit of loving what’s made at home and helping those in need.
With all the time spent at home this year, it’s inevitable that Christmas 2020 will be synonymous with homemade treats and artisan decorating. Small businesses run by women across India have created a mosaic of media, ornaments, table decorations and linens. From vintage embroidered baubles, to upcycled kitsch, tamarind twine stars, to DIY Christmas scenes, there is something for all tastes and budgets.
Meraki by Malini
Malini Richard is a wood artist based in Chennai. âI work in a small studio and I handcraft my own recycled wood designs, personalizing them for my clients across the country.â Wall hangings, nativity scenes, Christmas cottages and personalized keepsakes are all carefully crafted and priced between â¹ 500 to â¹ 2,000
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @merakibymalini
Tangle
Pauravi Shah quit her corporate job in 2015, to fulfill her artistic destiny. Stumbling over tons of fabric ribbon at home, she used the Japanese Kazanshi art form to form intricate designs using ribbon petals. His Bengaluru-based brand Tangle sells wire candles, orb lights and a constellation of fun and festive Kazanshi ornaments in reindeer, snowflake, fir, candle and angel designs, from 50 â¹ to â¹ 750.
Instagram: @pauravi
Call: +91 8884088600
Little Flower
Based in Kochi, Ammu Chacko is a fashion designer by profession, but also delights in the ordinary with her range of table and wall decor. Whether it’s turning old cake boards into bells, making placemat angels, or using dried tamarind fibers to create rustic stars, Ammu credits his childhood handmade projects with his current design aesthetic. Its candles and table arrangements can be personalized; prices range from â¹ 90 to â¹ 4,500.
Instagram: @littleflower_ammuchacko on Instagram
Call: +91 94460 37978
Paper and pixels
Kruthika Nataraju, a doctor by profession in Bangalore, became a creative entrepreneur during her maternity break. âI wanted to bring my digital illustrations to the physical world through works of art cut on paper,â she explains. In association with The Color Company, she created a card stock Christmas scene kit, providing families with a lot of festive fun. Custom-cut paper ornaments and holiday-themed lightboxes are also available.
The DIY Kit – â¹ 649 + shipping.
Paper-cut shaker ornaments â¹ 269 + â¹ 30 for personalization, or a set of three for â¹ 749.
Instagram: @ paper.and.pixels and @thecolourcompanyin
Call: +91 9886992192 (Kruthika) and +91 9384871266 (The Color Company)
Silaiwali
Afghan refugee women sew beautiful dolls from fabric scraps from Delhi’s fast-paced fashion industry. Their range of handmade and recycled ornaments – â¹ 500 for a set of two – come in earthy shades of brown with embroidered details, celebrating the cultural significance of the horse, camel, elephant, the cow, the snow leopard and the deer.
Website: www.silaiwali.com
Instagram: @silaiwali
The needle maker
Bengaluru-based Maitrayee Shukla’s Christmas collection features vintage-style ornaments, adorned with traditional Zardosi embroidery. Cross stitch embroidered hoops, cocktail / dinner napkins, napkins, cushion covers and masks are also available, between â¹ 250 and â¹ 1500.
E-mail: [email protected]
Instagram: @theneedlecrafter
Call: +91 7844888277
Oh Scrap Madras
Oh Scrap Madras is unveiling its second Christmas collection, from â¹ 250 for a plush snowman to â¹ 1,300 for a festive garland. Ohscrap also offers electric print embellishments and cushions, all recycled from fabric waste.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @ohscrapmadras
Call: +91 97899 81712
A bee in the garden
Based in Bengaluru, Soumya Thomas-Joseph runs a local brand where every product is handmade and created with care, using handpicked Indian cottons. Its product line includes stockings, tree skirts, wall decorations with copper bells from rural Gujarat, reversible fabric bins, curtain ties, kitchen towels and buntings. Its style marries Indian sensibilities with traditional Christmas decor, and its prices range from â¹ 150 to â¹ 1,750.
Email: [email protected]
@a_bee_in_the_garden on Instagram
Asone embroidery
Nagaland embroidery artist Ason Tinye offers a range of handmade wall decorations with exquisite detailing, filled with shimmering strands and beads. âMy work is mainly inspired by the culture in which I grew up. As an embroiderer, I find more reasons to do what I love this Christmas season, âshe says. Hoops start at â¹ 650.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @ asone.embroidery
Kraft people
This Bengaluru brand Christmas decorations are made entirely from fabric scraps accumulated from different production runs. Her repertoire includes mini Christmas buntings, jute and twine balls, and ornaments stuffed with junk. Asha Scariya, Creative Director, says, âSustainability should be a way of life and even more so at a festival, when it’s common to buy unnecessary decoration.â
â¹ 149 on the rise.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @peoplekraft
Call: +91 7676546288
Littleheaven Decor
Designer duo Vinitha George and Minu Mary Zachariah in Bengaluru conceptualize, design, create and sometimes co-create sets with their clients. In the wide price range from â¹ 95 to â¹ 1,300, the duo’s Yuletide collection includes party buntings, cross stitch cushions, table linens and coffee table candles – all handcrafted with a pinch Christmas spirit.
Instagram: @littleheavendecor
Facebook: Littleheavendecor
Call: +91 9900956842
Divya innovations
Suman John, CEO of Diya Innovations, Bengaluru runs a social enterprise with a team of artisans born with intellectual challenges. âThey bring a strong work ethic and attention to detail, and earning a salary helps them feel included and accepted into their family,â says Suman. The Christmas catalog includes cribs and tree ornaments made from recycled wood, candle holders, coasters and platters, fabric gift bags, colorful scented and Advent candles and an assortment of dark chocolate in festive packaging. Gift options start from â¹ 60.
Website: www.diyainnovations.com
Instagram: @ diyainnovations2013
Call: +91 9886013270