Hyderabad, October 11, 2021. Demand for handmade products never dies even in the world of readymade, machine-made and ready to print 3D Digital world: Ms Aabha Mirza, Curator of the home-based products and exhibition organiser.
Speaking to media immediately after the inauguration of FAFF, an Exhibition of Home-Based products, she said Hand made products score over ready-made products or ready to print 3D Digital printing. Handmade products are green as they are made by hand and consume less energy. Doing so generates more jobs. Studies after studies found that shifting just 10 percent of consumer spending in a particular area to locally owned businesses would create hundreds of new jobs and lakhs of rupees in earnings. Several experiments proved that people value handmade products more because there is some feeling in them. They are considered more authentic. Consumers value handmade products more. Even products like handmade coffee taste better when prepared by hand rather than machine-made ready to cook products.
Fifth Avenue Event Management company conceptualised this unique venue for home-based and local small businesses. Aabha, Event Professional cum Aribrator who studied from NALSAR, the exhibition organiser said we live in a world where many things are mass-produced. I am not saying that something is wroing with them. But it’s also wonderful that more people everywhere are beginning to embrace things that are made by hand in small quantities. In case you hadn’t heard, here is why handmade matters.
FAFF was a one-day Flea Market held at Hitex to provide a platform and to give filling to home-based, local and small businesses, informed Aabha. The exhibition had 100 plus stalls. All exhibitors showcased home-based, sustainable products. It was a one day exhibition. It was a unique exhibition with a good purpose and a cause. The purpose was to provide a premium platform to home businesses, local and small businesses who are looking forward to recovering and restarting their business after covid or those who just started new and look forward to launching big.
The cause was e-waste drive. FAFF is tied up with Sustainaholics, a community of ecological warriors. Who has run an e-waste collection drive? Requested people to carry along with them to the exhibition the e-wast, which they want to discord properly. It had a stall and a lot of people brought e-waste with them and deposited it. The drive was organised on the eve of International e-Waste Day to be observed on October 14th said Mrs Praneetha, a lady behind the Sustainaholics. Being a government servant working in a municipal administration, this passionate engineer has been championing the cause of e-wast to save the mother planet in her capacity.
Former Infosys employees turned home entrepreneur Divya Shree, a mother of a child, started Dwelloncrafts. Her resin jewellery and home decor products are sold all over the world on etsy.com, an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. She sold 130 plus handmade mini chess pieces all over the world made of Resin. She was the top seller on etsy. Now she has launched her products in the domestic market.
Payal Jain a 25 years old B.Com graduate set up her small venture called PSquare Creations 2 years back with an investment of Rs 40,000/-, which she recovered. She made all kinds of handmade creative works/art pieces, designer wall clocks, Navkar Mantra Photo Frames, and Unique Wedding Gifts.
Her products were masterpieces that attracted a lot of crowds. She wants to set up her own museum. She had a lot of takers for her products and she has already sold well over 100 pieces.
I love handmade, I buy handmade, I make handmade, I dream, eat and sleep handmade and I sell handmade. Handmade is so special to me said Mrs Pooja Swapnika of ‘Shapz’. A fashion designer turned Home Entrepreneur, a mother of a child is into hand-painted, slow, sustainable fashion. She has given a new look to the old trunk which has been lying unused in her in-law’s house and hand painted it and gave it all together with a new look which is well appreciated. She gave a fresh lease of life to many old furniture, old fans etc. I repurpose them, she told. She made earrings, bows, neckpieces, tops etc from leftover cloth pieces. She turned their beautiful products into paintings. I am into wearable art, she says. She hand paints blouses and tops.
Sheetala of Saka Organics who is still in school has come out with many sustainable products such as earbuds without using plastics, toothbrushes, natural scrubs. natural cosmetics etc. Sindhu of BonBon, a home baker, exhibited home-based bakery products.
Two sisters and one brother’s social enterprise Leti Works was born in Pandemic. Readymade products are found everywhere. We both wanted to make earrings and jewellery handmade for our own selves so that we stand out in the crowd.
A lot of feeling goes in the making of them, a lot of people started liking them which gave a way to start our enterprise. Six months since they started, their start-up took off so well that they are not looking back, said Spandana, one of the sisters who is still pursuing her MBA.
Sabrina of Artistic Sabrina showcased beautiful, handcrafted paper bags and clutches, very unique gift boxes, proving the fact that there is abundant talent in many women who are confined to homes. If they tapped their talent, it could be an enterprise worth lakhs of rupees.
FAFF was a flea market, a super Sunday. It had all the fun, frolic, food, games, entertainment, shopping together at one place organised for the people who wanted to enjoy their Sunday with the family as most of them were locked in homes due to pandemic for the past 72 Sundays in 18 months
