Handicrafts from the Heart

Next time a loved one’s birthday approaches, take a little help from these talented crafters to make it extra special.

There was a time when sending a loved one a greeting on a birthday, anniversary or other momentous occasion meant having to choose from one of the printed, run-of-the-mill cards bearing sappy, often ungrammatical messages, all drafted by the same handful of printing firms in Pakistan.

Our pictures would be stored in unattractive factory-made albums and we would gift sweetmeat wrapped in garish silver wrapping. Now, however, when one wants to make an occasion truly memorable, there is an array of hand-crafted gift items available just a few clicks away, thanks to some innovative and artistic young women who have made paper a sought-after medium.

Favour box crafted by All That Sparkle.

Working from home, these women offer a variety of crafts: from cards edged with doilies to photo albums with just the right embellishments to decorated binder clips, there is something here for the stationery buff in all of us. The demand for their hand-made goods is soaring, and their clientele is not just restricted to women — many men come to them seeking the perfect personalised gift for their loved one.

From Varah Musavvir’s ‘Firefly’ to Noveen Siddiqui’s ‘All That Sparkle’ and Erum Tasnim’s ‘Glitter and Swirls’, the crafts on offer are original and high quality, bearing the stamp of their makers.



These young women have effectively harnessed social-networking websites such as Facebook and the world of online shopping to run their business operations. Each crafter runs her own page where users can browse through photos, select the items they want and place their order over a private message to the page’s administrators. All impending discussions such as prices, delivery and personalisation take place online, at the end of which the customer is given the crafter’s bank details for payment. Although the entire process works smoothly most of the time, there have been some glitches. For instance, customers are sometimes reluctant or unable to make timely payments or have the designs modified to reduce the price but then aren’t satisfied with the final product.

A colourful diary by FizY’s Art.

The proliferation of social media is crucial to these crafters, helping them connect not just with customers but also with the suppliers of the basic materials that they use. Initially, both Faiza Bhatti of FizY’s Art and Tasnim would import their supplies and the crafters would buy whatever they needed from one another. Now, however, this has been outsourced to other businesswomen who specialise in having the materials delivered from abroad and selling them to the crafters. But while technology is pivotal to their survival, it has also posed certain problems along the way, which anyone who has ever promoted a brand online will understand. Siddiqui cites plagiarism and imitation by other crafters as the chief issue with Facebook promotion, as does Tasnim. “It’s understandable that emerging crafters should take inspiration from these products,” says Tasnim. “But copying every detail and lying about being the real designers of the product is just wrong!” The crafters also have to be wary of online fraud whilst purchasing supplies lest the traders swindle them with misleading photographs of their merchandise to make money illegally.

A stall at the exhibition.

Most of the time however, the crafters are savvy about the way they use technology. Musavvir, for example, recently relocated to Hong Kong and now runs crafting classes online, spreading the name of Pakistani crafters internationally. The classes include detailed modules on a variety of related topics such as inks, techniques, designing and assembling. “It is awesome to have classes online because you can reach a wider audience that way,” says Musavvir. “I have taught students from Canada, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and several from India.” Many of her students are in their teens looking to pay their way through school by selling handmade accessories like cards and keepsakes. “It is very enriching to see them learn and apply themselves,” she says. “I particularly enjoyed a class I hosted on Freebie Glitter Accents as there were over 88 students logged in at that time!”

Birth announcements by FizY’s Art.

The growing popularity of the crafters was evident at the ‘Crafters’ Expo’ which Musavvir organised last year at Karachi’s Royal Rodale Club. Customers flocked to the stalls set up by the participants and the diaries, gift cards, photo frames, albums, boxes and fancy packages on display sold like hot cakes. The success was so phenomenal that Musavvir is currently planning a follow-up expo to be held in December this year. In addition to this, participating crafters also received sponsorships from two international scrapbook companies.



However, crafting is not all fun and games. Siddiqui’s advice to anyone wishing to take up this line of work is to ensure they understand it fully and are willing to give it the time and energy it requires which can easily be done by surfing the internet and practicing with the material available there. She also warns women about the drawbacks of working from home saying, “I am often working throughout the day. Sometimes, I work way past normal hours in order to finish off an order, all the time fulfilling my other, household responsibilities as well!”

Gift boxes by Firefly.

Although we have been storing photographs and exchanging greeting cards for ages, never before has the practice been as easy and exciting as it is now. These crafters bear testament to the fact that dedication, innovation and talent can help create business opportunities that never existed before and revolutionise the way things have been done thus far.

To make things easier for you, Ms. T drafted a list of the specialities of the crafters, along with their price ranges. Have a look and decide how you can make your loved ones’ day special next time around!

Notebooks by Firefly.

FizY’s Art: Faiza Bhatti specializes in types of books (scrapbooks, tag books, wedding and baby books, etc) which usually range from Rs2,800 to Rs5,000, depending on their size.

Glitter & Swirls: Erum Tasnim’s most popular items include decorated gift boxes and Cardinis (card-cum-mini photo albums) that cost around Rs600 each.

All That Sparkle: Noveen Siddiqui is great at crafting chocolate and favour boxes of all shapes and sizes, perfect for party giveaways! Prices vary from Rs150 to Rs1,400, depending on the size of box.

Firefly: Although Varah Musavir receives most of her orders for key chains and other keepsakes, she believes her speciality is mini photo albums that sell for Rs2,800 to Rs4,200, depending on the theme and the amount of details (embellishments and colours, etc) the customer wants.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, May 12^th, 2013.

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