Best out of waste

Unique Hobbies

When Maria Sharon is not looking into a microscope or drawing diagrams in her lab records, she is busy conceptualising designs and trying to see how best she can convert waste into useful products.

The final-year microbiology student of CMR Institute of Management Studies, has always loved converting mundane items like jute, paper, satin ribbon, and plastic into high-brow bags, hair-bands, rubber-bands, bracelets, clips, wall-hangings, pencil stands and pencil tops.

Maria was interested in this craft ever since she was in school. She used to make attractive greeting cards as gifts for her relatives for their weddings and birthdays. Religiously spending at least one hour everyday after school, this passion of hers grew slowly. She started putting her free time to good use by expanding from greeting cards to small, home-decor items.

Her skills sharpened through trial and error. She learnt through observation and experience. Reading and the support of her parents helped her all the more. But she has never taken a craft class.  “Brilliant, they say,” she says, when asked what people think of her talent. “When people come home and look at my work, they find it hard to believe that it’s handmade. Many have asked me a lot of times whether I buy these items. This is motivating and has kept me going.”

The whole process has not been easy. The entire craft requires time, effort and concentration on minute aspects and fine details. 

Maria’s designs and images are roughly in her head before she starts tracing them out to make the final item. The waste materials that she uses are  from her house and some are given by friends and family.

“If I have to make something out of a newspaper, such as a paper bowl, I should have a clear image in my head as to how I am going to go about. Otherwise, the final item would be out of shape. The design should be original and creative. It’s important to concentrate on details. One should never use normal glue as it won’t stick well or hold the paper firmly together. Adding the right amount of glue and colour, cutting, trimming and folding the paper in the right edges and quantities are some aspects I take care of.”  
 She has never bought items from fancy stores or malls as she believes that a lot more affection and love goes while gifting a handmade product. “It’s worth much more if you make something for a person’s special day. People appreciate the work you do,” she says. Maria loves making the accessories the most as she says that they are the most liked and well-received, especially among her friends. She says that one doesn’t need classes to pursue their passion as classes and workshops help only to a certain extent. “Ultimately, it is up to the learner as to how they execute their idea. Creativity and innovation are something a class can never teach. They come only through practice,” she adds.

Maria doesn’t want to give up this passion of hers but continue it till she sets up an online venture someday. She wants to pursue it as a part-time job. She advises young hobbyists not to give up their interests, despite failed attempts but to pursue them as they will give them a unique identity.