Crafting Christmas

Keep your festive season green, with our  pick of the best in sustainable and handcrafted home decor.

By Maegan Dobson Sippy

Goodwill to all men can extend into your decorations, with these one-off, seasonal picks. From bunting, place mats and cushion covers from local weavers, to hand crafted gift boxes that are perfect for table presents, your home will boast some
signature touches that are quite unusual and do not ‘cost the earth’.

Hanging pretty
Varnam has established a reputation
for bringing a new design aesthetic to Channapatna craftmanship, and their seasonal range does not disappoint. Take your pick from friendly snowmen, quirky owls or festive bells to add a splash of colour to your Christmas tree. We’d recommend these for families with small kids, as being wooden they can’t be broken! At the store in Indiranagar. Details: 25250360

Winter weaves
The seasonal collection at Eka
has a striking collection of ‘driftwood’ Christmas trees (Rs2,290 upwards) that are reusable and unique. We also love their Kale Nele textile products, which feature weaves from the Guledgud region. With a classic festive colour palette of green, red and gold, the bunting, table runners, place settings and napkins are all beautifully
finished. Rs390 upwards. At Eka Crafts, Ulsoor. Details: 25540876

Wrap it up

Make your dining table look
more festive by adding beauti-
fully wrapped table gifts to each place
setting. These gift boxes from Crack of Dawn Crafts are great for little presents, and have been exclusively crafted from handmade paper by city-based
designer Sunehra Koshy. They’re available in a range of sizes and festive designs. Rs120 upwards. Details:
crackofdawncrafts.in

Touch of brass
These engraved brass goblets
at Caravan Craft are just the thing for mulled wine servings. Made by skilled marori artisans they add a regal touch to your Christmas dinner table or party.
Matching napkin holders are also
available. Rs8,600 upwards. At Phoenix MarketCity, Whitefield.
Details: 67266540

Woven wonders
Add a splash of Christmas colour
to your living room, with the range of
seasonal cushion covers from the Diya Foundation. Hand-finished in pure cotton by the differently-abled individuals that the charity supports, they’re the epitome of festive cheer, and come in a range of Christ- massy designs. Rs150 upwards. At the
Diya Foundation Centre, Chele
kere. Details: 9880052833

Stitch in time
Bring in a touch of winter, with
these gorgeous crochet snowflakes.
Each one is painstakingly made by hand, making them as unique as snowflakes themselves. Available in strings of gold, white and red with attached golden bells, there are also individual angels that you can hang from the tree, or use to brighten up a dull room. Rs100 upwards. At: face
book.com/TiaraStore

Golden highlights
In their newly opened store in
Leela Palace, Rajasthani brand Anan
Taya have some exquisite hand-crafted
products. The candleholders in delicate hand-turned marble are elegantly festive, with gold and silver leaf applied around the edge of each piece adding that all-important sparkle. A video of the artisans at work on the piece can be seen in-store. Rs1,860 upwards. At the Collonade, Old
Airport Road. Details: 42106797

Glowing globe
Spotted in one of the store’s
stunning festive window displays,
these lamps are real signature pieces, but they do require a bit of space so as not to crowd the room. Local craftsmen have wired together colourful glass and acrylic beads to create this stunning effect, and you can add as many or as few rice lights as you like, depending on the impact you want to create. Rs8,400 upwards. At The Purple Turtles, Domlur. Details: 41528039