There is no denying that while tinsel and thermocol look pretty, the planet could do with a little less of them all around. We look at a few home decor products that would also make for great gifting options this season:
Recycle, refresh
Christmas decor from Abira | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Meaning brave in Hindi, Abira founded by Priyanka Khandelwal, works with women in the urban slum areas of Bengaluru and Pune. "All our Christmas decorations are made by them and for most this is their first job. The fabrics we use are sourced from garment cutting units. Whenever any garment is manufactured, about 15% of fabric is wasted, and that is what we utilise across our collections."
Priyanka says since these scraps are donations from bigger brands they are able to create more pieces in every style. "The wood we use is actually medium-density fiberboard (MDF) created out of compressed wood and sawdust, and are discards which we pick from interior designs firms."
Check out whebyabira.com for details
Twines that bind
Christmas decor from GreenKraft | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Though they have been operational since 2012, Greenkraft introduced a line of Christmas collectibles last year when they launched their e-commerce website. The firm which began marketing bamboo products, now also crafts items out of banana fibre.
Sangita Banerjee, senior lead merchandiser, says the basic structure of their products evolves from the composition of mats created from slivers of bamboo reed. "Our in-house designers work on the R&D for our festive collections and how to make them relatable for each season. We employ rural women to assemble our products -- bamboo ones are from Karnataka and the banana fibre ones from the Tamil Nadu region. There aren't too many job opportunities in these regions for women, so for most of them, this is an additional source of income."
Details on greenkraft.co.in
Waste not, wreath knot
Christmas decor from Diya Innovations | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Among the many cutesy items on Diya Innovations' site, is a bushy, green wreath that would not only look lovely on its own, but also lends itself to pretty much any theme you might have this Christmas. Founder of Diya Innovations, Suman John says, "It all began a few years back, when over a lakh of pamphlets left over after a political rally were dumped at our door step. My Head of Production had designed a wreath using little bits of paper that were folded into fans; they were then strung with wire to hold the structure together."
"Though it might seem monotonous, for those with autism or intellectual disability, repetitive motion is soothing and getting them to complete a task within a certain period of time, gives them a sense of purpose. We've been making these for a few years now, and it has been a popular product."
This year, Diya has introduced cloth ornaments that double as room fresheners. "We had leftover scraps of cloth from the bags that we make, so we hand-printed them with candy stripes and stuffed them with potpourri, turning them into little tree ornaments. Similarly, the new addition of Santa faces sporting dashing moustaches are made from recycled pine wood."
Check out @diyainnovations2013 on Instagram
Little lights
Christmas decor from Hand Art Treasures | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
One Christmas when Tahmina Yacoob found herself with time on her hands, she cut up and folded some Auroville paper lying around into a kitschy lampshade of sorts. "Everyone who visited us that season loved the play of light and wanted something similar. That was how I started making these by the end of 2016," says Tahmina.
"Initially, I started with the handmade paper I had at home. I love their texture and had picked up quite a lot over the years," she adds.
Though the original design remains the same, Tahmina says she alternates colourful handmade paper with plain ones. She sources these from a local paper-cutter, using what remains after wedding invites and office stationery have been cut to size. "The textures are what I am on the lookout for."
Three years ago, Tahmina began employing a group of women from Whitefield who wanted to augment their income. "I do the cutwork and the flowers, they help me assemble the lights on each piece."
@handarttreasures on Instagram features Tahmina's Christmas collection