My brother would say often, “Creative juices never dry, they just lie dormant. Someone’s little fillip and the juices gush out once again.”
Marriage, with small kids and daily domestic chores, left me no time to nurture my creative passion. Years passed, and my kids matured enough to realise that their mother does possess some creative instincts.
During the season of lockdowns, with the luxury of time by my side, I dusted out my old craft skills. Not very sure of myself, I was just reliving my hobby again.
My elder son Ayaan also started taking interest in my work. Simultaneously he started searching the net, hoping to channelise his mothers’ passion, into monetary gains as well. And that’s how it all started.
My sons’ continuous encouragement hit hard on my dormant creative well and the juices started flowing out again and in good measure. We christened our craft ideas “Lilacs in the Closet”.
The stuff we make is handmade. As they say, ‘handmade is heart made”, so we put our heart into each piece. You may spot some imperfections in the products, but then that’s the beauty of it. That’s the mark of an authentic handmade product, in contrast to perfect machine-made products all around you.
We use wires, yarns, beads, papers, threads, buttons etc. to create cute, charming and resplendent articles. By letting our imaginations run riot, we come up with astonishing and ingenious pieces. With our hearts guiding our work, we crochet – amigurumi (mostly customised), scrunchies, hats, chokers, bookmarks, bead jewellery, thread embroidery, origami, paper flowers etc.
Our baby, Lilacs in the Closet is now a couple of months old. We started to present our work on Instagram and the response was heart-warming and emboldening.
The best trait of our small enterprise is that we have ensured a rapport with our customers. We remember their names, their tastes and their choices. And they remember us when they have to gift someone dear with something personalised.
So what better items there could be than ours? Handmade, customised and of course crafted out of love and passion.
Our products are shipped all over India. For orders, contact: https://www.instagram.com/lilacsinthecloset/
Lilacs in the Closet is a mother – son team effort. Can we say – one great relation, two generations apart, crafts many, handmade happiness ?
By Shaista Shariq & Ayaan Shariq
Shaista has a Ph.D in Organisational Psychology. Currently she is a homemaker, raising two lovely boys. She has a passion for craft, loves watching comedies and thrillers and trying her hand at different Indian cuisines. Ayaan is studying for a BSc in Psychology from Ashoka University. Like his mother, he has always loved being creative. He enjoys reading all kinds of books and playing cat games.
