This festive season, gifting is all about innovation, utility, and being thoughtful

Within the run as much as Navratri and all of the golu-hopping set to begin, Karpagam Ok is busy at work, fashioning potlis or drawstring baggage out of silk saris and shawls. 

“I needed to make and present one thing that was not simply totally different, however helpful as properly ,for friends visiting my residence,” says the Chennai resident. Very like Karpagam’s handmade baggage, return presents throughout Navratri are not nearly shirt items, with a number of folks and types taking to innovating and delving into customised creations for the festive season. 

Karpagam says she has made greater than 75 baggage up to now, in ten totally different designs. “Other than utilizing the sari or scarf for the outer materials, I used two layers to line the within of the luggage. I used to be very explicit in regards to the baggage wanting professionally made,” she says. Having seen presents being handed round in a circle in the course of the festive season, Karpagam says she designs the luggage holding in thoughts its usability and attraction. “The scale is sufficiently big to carry a clutch purse, and comes with a deal with. Individuals is not going to wish to palm this off to others,” she laughs. 

Open cotton tote baggage by Sura
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Luggage, pouches and something utilitarian have loved a gradual draw. At Sura, a ladies’s collective from rural Tamil Nadu co-founded by Nisha Subramaniam and Dravina Seenivasan, baggage and pencil pouches have been constant bestsellers. 

“We have now additionally made potli baggage in gada uncooked silk and brocade, in addition to open cotton tote baggage that may be embroidered,” Nisha says. With diwali not too distant, their laptop computer sleeves are normally in demand for company gifting orders. “There are much more folks prepared to experiment with return presents now, and once they come to us, we additionally give them suggestions on find out how to diversify their presents with regard to totally different age teams,” she provides.

Glassware by Bodhai
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At Chennai-based Bodhai based by Lavanya and Ananya Shankar, the flavour of this festive season is glassware repurposed from bottles. “We have now jugs, tea and occasional cups, ice cream bowls, snack bowls, shot glasses, wine glasses, cocktail glasses and a whole sequence of resin-filled goblet glasses as properly,” says Dakshana Rajaram, an artist with the model. 

This yr, she says, it has been heartening to see folks hunt down gifting choices which might be helpful, one thing the model focusses on as properly, together with customisation.

Foot soaks and scrubs by Simply Sides
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An unlikely product is the very best vendor this season at Simply Sides, says its co-founder Deepika Jayasurya. The Chennai-based model that specialises in selfmade and preservative-free podis and preserves, has additionally discovered a gradual buyer base for his or her foot soaks, physique wash and hair wash powders. “Packaged in small glass jars, our clients have the choice of constructing combos of those merchandise and this works properly for individuals who wish to present a wide range of small issues,” Deepika explains. 

Varsha S who runs Paper Thundugal, a small enterprise focussed on gifting and curation, acknowledges that the gifting business is booming, with a plethora of choices accessible to select from. 

“Our hampers have one thing that appeals to every sense — for example, it’s a mixture of one thing that smells good, one thing to eat, tinkling bells or anything that one can hear and so forth. We additionally attempt to have one thing for each age group,” says Varsha. Their Ember Pack and Radiance Pack gifting hampers have motichoor ladoo candles, channapatna toys, hand-carved wood haldi and kumkum packing containers, all of which are available a woven field made from palm leaves. 

Past the product alone, the expertise of gifting is what’s most enjoyable, Varsha provides. With October heralding the festive season, it actually is time to choose and select, both for others or a a lot deserved deal with for the self.