Wrapping a surprise

A lot of thought goes behind getting a gift for a loved one. From choosing the gift to writing a cute note on it, everything plays an important role in making it very special.

In Japanese culture, the wrapping and presentation of the gift is more important than the purchase. No matter how expensive or pretty the gift is, it is sure to lose some of its value if presented in a shabby manner.

‘Aavini’, a Bengaluru-based start-up by Aarti Vignesh, is adding that distinctive touch to the gifts to make them extra special. The gift one chooses is given a special touch of love by the unique gift bags and boxes. Started in September 2013, ‘Aavini’ has many satisfied customers who look forward to buying gift bags from here to enhance the anticipation of their loved one.

The founder and owner of ‘Aavini’, Aarti says, “I had a full-time job at a hotel before my son was born. After his birth, I wanted to do something of my own at home. And that is how ‘Aavini’ started.” She adds that she came up with the idea as all the gift-wrapping bags and boxes available in branded stores spoil the surprise element and are too generic. “The bags you buy in branded shops have the brand names printed all over them. This spoils the surprise and reveals some amount of the information about the gift. But these bags are unique and do not have anything printed on them,” she says.

She buys her raw materials from Chickpet and also gets unique decorative things from her cousins in the US. With an eye for detail, she makes the boxes and bags attractive by painting them, adding small accessories made from paper cut-outs, using crape materials for wrapping, doing terracotta work on some and so on.

They are carefully handcrafted and Aarti also takes orders for the customisation of these boxes and bags. There is no mass production as she is the only person working on all these items. Along with making gift bags, she also paints on shot glasses and makes unique ‘diyas’ that can make for some attractive decoratives.

And all these come at pocket-friendly prices, ranging from Rs 25 to Rs 80, depending on the required dimensions. If you are lost finding the perfect wrap for your gift, then you can also give the required dimensions and get it customised.