Cash-rich but time-poor? If you are looking for gifts that express your wishes more effectively than store-bought knick knacks, these Tiruchi-based artists specialize in handmade gifts and can be reached instantly via social media, That might just be the thing for you.
Cash-rich but time-poor? If you are looking for gifts that express your wishes more effectively than store-bought knick knacks, these Tiruchi-based artists specialize in handmade gifts and can be reached instantly via social media, That might just be the thing for you.
slice of life in a box
the prank
the product: diorama boxes
A perfect gift for those who love to take pictures and look at them (which almost all of us would be), The Prink online store’s ‘Miniature Box’ promises to create a fake diorama that will be a hit on any showcase. sure.
“We are trying to help people remember their cherished moments like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and special occasions with small boxed three-dimensional displays that are curated by the customer. So, along with supplying their photographs, they also get to choose the items that will make up the rest of the diorama,” says Sanjay Prabhu, co-founder and CEO of The Prink, an email for personalized gifts. -Commerce portal, which started in 2020. ,
The market for such customized novelty items is crowded, says Sanjay, but what sets The Prink apart is the time factor. “Most artists working on dioramas usually ask for at least two weeks to a month advance notice, as they require a lot of handicrafts. But we do fulfill miniature box orders within 24 hours of ordering Since we largely ship our products within India, our boxes get delivered within a day or two of dispatch,” he says.
Sanjay left his job as a software professional with his mother Amutha Siva to work at the family’s 22-year-old printing firm on Puglia Pillai Street in Tiruchi.
The web-based offshoot began during lockdown in 2020 with pop-up cubes called ‘Prink Bombs’, a card paper contraption that literally popped out of a box filled with confetti and helped by strategically placed rubber bands. automatically assumes its shape. ,
Their range of products has expanded, as their workforce has grown from just three to 20 women workers over the past two years. “We deliberately gave priority to women, as they are naturally skilled in making handicrafts,” says Sanjay.
“We have three different sized diorama boxes on offer. To make it as realistic as possible, we have special laser-cut elements like miniature books and furniture. All are wooden boxes (sourced from West Bengal), fixed with LED lights and an adapter,” he added.
Sanjay says that despite being a luxury product, there has been an increase in demand after the second wave of COVID-19, with prices ranging from Rs 2,700 and above. “People have started to appreciate the little things in life, and want to capture their special moments for the future,” he says.
handmade gifts for treasure
gold gift spot
the product: Scrapbooks, Explosion Boxes, Homemade Chocolate Hampers
A Lakshmi Prabha decides to put her needlework and craftsmanship to good use when the health of her mother, a lab technician, prevents her from leaving the house.
Honing her skills with online video tutorials, 23-year-old Lakshmi started the YouTube channel and Instagram handle ‘Sona Ka Gift Spot’ in 2020, and has so far created over 400 customized items such as scrapbooks, exploding boxes (a collection of small gifts). origami box). When the lid is opened it pops inside) and the embroidered calendar.
She has also started a line in resin art objects.
Based in Thiruverumbur, Lakshmi works from home, balancing the job at a nearby office.
Lakshmi Prabha creates personalized gifts for the customers. , photo credit: special arrangement
“It is an unpredictable business, as a lot of demand depends on the occasion. From February to September, earnings can go up to Rs.20,000 per month, but there are days when I only get orders worth Rs.2000,” Lakshmi says.
Most of her customers are young people looking for special gifts, but Lakshmi avoids bulk orders. “Since I am working alone, I prefer smaller projects so that I can produce the best results. I have also recently started online craft classes so that talented individuals can get a chance to start their own handicraft business,” she says.
Her mother helps with the embroidery and makes the chocolates which Lakshmi packs in hampers. He hopes that getting the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license will help the chocolate hampers move faster.
“We usually need two or three days notice to get started on orders. For scrapbooks, I edit soft copies of photos and print them according to our size requirements. I usually work on these after the office shift is over,” she says.
His most popular item is a mini photo album which costs around ₹350. Gifts can go up to ₹5,000. “I’ve started preserving flowers in resin, and hope to do more with them in the coming weeks,” she says.
R Vignesh makes wooden drawings from photographs. , photo credit: special arrangement
wooden faces
Trichy Digital Art
the product: wooden pictures
A talent for computer-based vector art, a technique that uses points, lines, curves, and shapes, based on mathematical formulas, to create an image that can be resized without loss of resolution or quality has helped ITI graduate R Vignesh to find his inner self. artist.
This inspired him to specialize in three-dimensional wooden portraiture through his Trichy digital art handle on Instagram, where he displays his works.
R Vignesh assembling a wooden drawing made out of vector drawing. , photo credit: special arrangement
“Clients share soft copies of their photos, which I edit and redo as a graphic image with added depth. Once they approve the final version, I send it to a laser-cutting firm in Pudukottai who prints it on a vinyl sheet and sends it back to me. I then reassemble the pictures by sticking each part on a wooden board and preparing it to be displayed. It is very similar to doing a jigsaw puzzle,” says Vignesh.
A resident of Lalgudi, Vignesh comes to Tiruchi daily to work in a private firm, and then returns home to order his art.
Delivering the pictures on time has been the hardest part. “I have spent a lot of time and money personally gifting customers, as I have not tied up with logistics firms,” he says.
Vignesh portraits start at ₹1350 (A4 size); He avoids making the pictures too small, as it becomes difficult to stick the details in place.
With over 5,000 followers on his Instagram page, Vignesh gets his orders mostly through word of mouth. “Since this art is so technology-based, the machines involved are very expensive. But the patina on the wood improves the picture over time,” he says.