Saritha Prabha Machado used to draw from a young age and was always passionate about arts and crafts. A former administrative staff in a college, she felt a void when she was not able to pursue her dream of creating items out of paper, fabric and more.
It was around 10 years ago when she quit her job and devoted her time to art. She started off with candle making, paper quilling, terracotta, clay flowers etc, but soon started making flowers out of paper and fabric, which has remained her favourite hobby, till date.
“I started off with small paper flowers and gradually moved on to giant ones which are almost 3 to 4 feet wide,” she says.
Saritha believes that flowers are liked by everyone. “Sometimes to find a particular type of flower can be a challenge, which makes the hobby more interesting and challenging,” she says.
She makes flowers like rose (with and without bud), orchids, carnations, dahlia, lily, peony, hibiscus and more. “The latest addition to my collection is exotic flowers like the vibrant ‘birds of paradise’,” she says.
Paper flowers are easy to make as the material is easily available, and they are also eco-friendly unlike plastic versions, she notes.
areher choice of
paper flowers.
“Add one’s creativity to them and they have a special touch compared to fresh flowers,” says Saritha.
The process of making a flower includes choosing between metallic, crepe, satin or velvet paper for a more realistic look.
She details, “While making the flowers, one has to keep in mind the size of petals for two inches and scale it up accordingly for bigger sizes. The process is as follows: To make a six-inch sized rose flower, one will need a glue stick gun, glue, paper and paper boards. Cut the board to a required diameter, cut the petals to form a rose-bud keeping in mind the size of the flower and arrange the petals in outer layer clockwise. Arrange and repeat layers.”
Red, pink and lavender are Saritha’s top choices for the paper flowers.
“The best thing about paper flowers is that they last longer. Compared to natural flowers, these flowers can be reused for as many times as one wants if they are stored safely. They can also be made according to our size requirements,” she says.
She says she would not have been able to set up the Facebook page ‘Mesmericraft’, and host workshops if she had not been encouraged by her family and friends.
“Their unconditional support has helped me spark ideas among others too. If I get big orders, I invite participants from my workshops who love joining in,” she shares.
From bags and purses to silk thread jewellery, Saritha makes it all. But making paper flowers stays as her favourite pastime.
When asked if there is a particular flower she would like to make, she quips, “There is a huge demand for orchids now, and I am trying to experiment with the different varieties.”