Teacher-turned artist Athira Rathan's online store has been making waves

Teacher-turned craftswoman Athira Rathan’s online store is making waves with its simple yet catchy designs
Teacher-turned craftswoman Athira Rathan’s online store is making waves with its simple yet catchy designs
Teacher-turned craftswoman Athira Rathan’s online store is making waves with its simple yet catchy designs

Athira Radhan has been sparking joy with her ‘little things’, thoughtful creations by the youngster which are often plunged in vibrant colours, floral designs, personalised illustrations and patterns. Athira, who used to be a teacher, stumbled upon art and craft quite unexpectedly. Since then life has been surprising her at each step. The 27-year-old’s online venture, ‘Aathi's Little Things’ is a hub for handmade products that can perk up one’s day.

Her handmade bookmarks have been the show-stealer since day one. The slender pieces make you want to buy books or at least hoard them up. “I used to take part in craft competitions during my school days. But I never thought that art would become a source of income. It all began when my sister approached me to help her out with her flashcard making project. Once the work was done, I decided to splash some colours and work designs on the leftover strips. When I shared them with my friends, they reacted positively. That was the beginning of my bookmark idea,” says the Kannur native who is also working as a soft skill trainer at ASAP Kerala.

 


Athira posted her creations on social media as well, which helped her fetch her first paid order. “Though it was a bookmark, it was ordered to be stuck on a wall, as a memory wall of sorts,” she adds. Soon, Calicut-based publishers, Pendulum books, wanted to give her bookmarks with their books. 

During the flood of 2019, Athira gave her bookmarks for free to those who contributed H500 to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. “To my surprise, hefty contributions started flowing in. I was glad my art could play a part in the time of need,” she says.

Aathi’s little things stock up other handmade goods too. Flaunting her medium of choice, watercolour, Athira began creating seasonal greeting cards and personalised badges. “I use gouache and acrylic too when needed. Personally watercolour is a soothing medium to work on and it acts as a stress relief for me,” she adds.

The self-taught artist’s personalised cartoon watercolour artworks for handmade framed illustrations are now a top pick. Athira adds customised illustrations to artworks too. Each carefully detailed package comes with a surprise for the customers.

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