Chic up the X’mas cheer with some faux crystals and ornaments on your lush Christmas tree

However, just because the streets are bare of “ideal” Christmas settings does not mean your home should be too.
Chic up the X’mas cheer
Chic up the X’mas cheer

Chennai may not be the commercial Winterland of shows and movies — the streets slick with puddles instead of snow, sweater weather replaced by swelter weather, and a tropical foliage rather than the traditional monotones. However, just because the streets are bare of “ideal” Christmas settings does not mean your home should be too. Who cares if it’s not snowing outside? You can just make up for it with some faux crystals and ornaments on your lush Christmas tree. Or try some embroidered wreaths to spruce up your doorways with a welcoming touch. If you’re a fan of handmade goods, you could try crocheted and hand-blown glass items with custom designs. Whether you’re going for a commercial look or conforming to personal aesthetic these nine stores have everything you need to bring some holly jolly Christmas indoors.

Smris

Smris is not just another store that curates articles with no thought; it truly believes in giving a platform to the craftspeople from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari. Every handcrafted product has a unique story to tell, says founder Srimathi Kumaraswamy. “Our mission is to make eco-friendly products that have a personal touch. They are plastic-free and are ethically made and sourced,” she adds. The same can be seen in their Christmas collection offering decorations — balls, butterflies, stars, bells — made from papier-mâché and iron and their specialty ornaments, all of which can be used for 20 years.

Visit their store at 2/98 D, First Floor, Old Mahabalipuram Rd, Semmancheri, Chennai or smris_estore on Instagram

Price: Rs 90 -Rs 750

Kakoli’s Corner

Posed with a lot of time in our hands during Covid, most of us took to different coping mechanisms and hobbies. For Kakoli Roy, the lockdown meant that she could revisit her childhood hobby of crocheting and turn it into a business — Kakoli’s Corner. As both the owner and the creative artisan behind the business, she believes in delivering high-quality products and including the customers in the process. “The crochet designs and colours are customisable.  I enjoy taking on challenges with custom designs. We have 15 Christmas ornaments currently,” she adds. Crochet tree ornaments including Santas, Christmas trees; angels and snowflakes are bestsellers across India.

Check out the collection at kakoliscorner.in and on Instagram

Price: Rs 60 -Rs 150

Scraft

In 2016, Snekha Ragavendran began her eco-friendly wedding invitation business, creating artistic and beautiful cards with handmade paper. Three years ago, she began offering her talents with a holiday twist for Christmas and New Year  in the form of holiday hampers. This year, they include a macrame cotton thread Angel doll (to hang) and a handmade card, along with a cotton fabric calendar (can be bought and customised seperately) that adorn your walls with style and practical use. Of the calendars, Snekha says, “Each and every piece is handmade and I have designed them myself. You can buy them for yourself or in bulk to gift to family and friends.”

Place your orders at scraft.in or 9036013450.

Price: Rs 300 per calendar; Rs 500 per hamper

Oh Scrap! Madras

There is no better way to spread some holiday cheer than doing a good deed. Sustainable brand Oh Scrap! Madras is expanding their product line to a Christmas collection. Garlands, ornaments for trees and table corners, wreaths and buntings — all handmade in Chennai using assembled fabric waste. “It’s not only thinking about what to buy but also what you would like to gift. It’s about buying something sustainable and celebrating Christmas while changing a little bit to make it less harmful for the planet,” comments Dominique Lopez, co-owner.

Check out the products at Chamier’s and Purple Turtle in Chennai.

Price: Rs 300 onwards

The Knotty Manager

“I have a deep attachment to Christmas as I lived in the USA in my 20s. I didn’t realise how many people kept (Christmas) trees in India; I was quite surprised,” begins Rachna Raniwala, who began crocheting for friends during the lockdown. They say word-of-mouth is the best form of marketing and so it was for the chartered accountant, whose products under the Instagram banner of The Knotty Manager soon became popular among friends of friends and beyond. For Christmas, Rachna introduced 4-5 inch ornaments and 6-inch gnomes and santas to hang up on trees. All the proceeds from the sales are donated to charity.

To order (limited stock), check out @the_knottymanager on Instagram

Price: Rs 600 onwards

The Stitchery Room

Don’t ignore the doorway while your interiors get a spruced up holiday look. After all, isn’t it the first thing guests see? Check out Sneha Susan John’s The Stitchery Room, a small-scale business that sells embroidered hoops with calenders and other unique designs. For the Christmas collection, she is remodelling her hoops as embroidered wreaths adorned with festive words and phrases — Deck the Halls, Tidings of Comfort and Joy, and more. You can get them in six or eight inches, or even try the three-inch hoop ornaments. “Since these are handmade and not machine stitched, every piece is different and stands out. It’s not just a copy-paste of materials. I also make customised ones for a personal touch,” shares Sneha.

To buy, visit @thestitcheryroom on Instagram (limited stock)

Price: Rs 350-400 (small hoops); Rs 400 onwards (customised); Rs 750 onwards (big hoops)

Le Jahaan

What if the boxes in which you gave your Christmas gifts could double as decor items? Sustainable brand Le Jahaan offers chocolates, trees and more for the festive season; in addition to these, you can also save the box they come in. “Christmas comes around once a year. So, if you were using our bespoke boxes, you would not only get a gift but also boxes that you could keep as decor in the house,” shares Devina Singhania, the founder of the brand. The new collection embodies the season with its red, golden and green palettes. You can also make personal orders.

To order, check out houseofthings.com or visit @le.jahaan

Price: Rs 1,000 onwards

The Woodpecker

Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dehradun-based studio, the Woodpecker, echoes the stories of dying arts. “Inspiration from nature, vibrant colours, and our play with different natural textures are what make us stand apart from the rest,” says owner-founder Shanali Walia. Customers can choose from 50 different handcrafted and painted Christmas items. “We have hand-blown glass ornaments in the shapes of birds, penguins, stars, bells, and snowmen. We believe in gifts having a personal touch, so, our customers can choose between colours and place custom orders for the wood ornaments,” she says. Other Christmas baubles available are hand-painted wood hangings of reindeer, snowmen, and Santa Claus. 

Available at thewoodpeckerstore.in, thewoodpecker store on

Instagram Price: Rs 100 to Rs 700.

Kai Studio

Have you ever seen clay articles that are embroidered? If not, then Kai Studio’s Instagram handle is a sight to behold. Adorned by fishes, seahorses, tortoises, and other creatures, Kai’s socials narrate a story of creativity and sustainability. Their latest addition is the Christmas collection of baubles and ornaments to hang down the trees. “We wanted to make eco-friendly, sustainable products. They are hand-carved, painted, and embroidered. We also take custom orders. Last year, our Christmas ornaments were a hit and we took it one step forward this time around,” says Nayantara Mohan Nanda, co-owner with sister Uttara Mohan Nanda. This includes designs of reindeer, mistletoe, stars, wreaths, and gingerbread men in sets of five or ten. 

To purchase, visit kaistudio.co.in; kai._.studio on Instagram

Price: Rs 300 to Rs 2,850

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