A twist in a tale of decoupage

Being creative is not a hobby but a way of life is exactly how Smita Arjun Kawale feels everytime she sits down to make something.

The MBA finance graduate wanted to do something exciting once she got married and had her daughter. Having always been interested in art and craft, she didn’t want to forget whatever she knew just because she entered a new phase in life.

She picked up whatever she could find around the house, sketched and played with watercolours. “I grew up a family that was liked art and painting

. That’s probably where I picked up my interest too. So when I started taking my hobby seriously, I started a Facebook page called ‘Patiently Crafted’ to log my work,” says Smita.

She slowly graduated to decoupage. She explains, “I found the art very interesting as you can do so many things with it. It makes me feel like I am bringing a plain paper to life and giving shape to it.”

She prefers to work with bright colours and give the item character. You’ll mostly catch her making jewellery boxes and bottles using the decoupage method. “My three-year-old daughter has slowly picked up an interest in my work too. When I first started, she had the tendency to disturb or mess with my arrangement of working. But when I explained to her as to what I am doing, she just patiently sits next to me and start colouring,” she notes.

Smita spends close to five hours a day creating items using materials found around the house. It could be anything from a newspaper basket, pen holders, bottle art to stocking flowers. She adds, “Though I was inspired by my daughter for it, kids art gives me immense pleasure to work on. I love making button art and using popsicle sticks for designing.”

Though she’s setting up a business with her hobby, she says that DIY projects are the most fun to do.

“It was easier and challenging to make items with whatever I could find at home, but since I want to make quality products, I now approach vendors to provide the raw materials for me.”

She adds that the support she gets from her husband helps her pursue her dreams. “My husband was the one who helped me come up with the Facebook page now. Whenever she sees me busy with a project, he makes sure that everything else in the house gets done. He takes care of our daughter as well and lets me have my moments,” she says.

Smita wants to continue learning and experiment with as many things as possible. “I mostly refer to YouTube channels and other websites for inspiration. It could also be the raw materials that I find from the vendors. My projects keep me occupied and happy. I want to learn many other crafts and make the most of my time,” Smita says.

(Smita can be contacted at [e-mail])