Creativity helps create gorgeous gifts and wraps<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
With Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year festivities on the
\nhorizon, people are getting busy buying gifts for their loved
\nones and colleagues. Nowadays, handing over gifts is not merely
\nfor birthdays or weddings but also for other occasions.<\/p>\n
The first impression made by your gifts is very necessary. The
\nimpression will be stronger if you can wrap them in a very unique
\nand stylish way.<\/p>\n
It requires good judgment of the recipients' character, not
\nonly in deciding what kind of gift, but also the wrapping. It is
\nalso important to know that the gifts will be useful or
\nmeaningful to the recipients.<\/p>\n
Originality and creativity are definitely needed to create
\nbeautiful gifts and wrapping. In fact, we can use simple
\nmaterials like banana and tree bark, wild grass, bird cages and
\nthe forgotten (even dying) traditional treats.<\/p>\n
Those items have been transformed into fantastic gifts by
\nnoted interior designer Warwick Purser and famous fashion
\ndesigner\/actor Robby Tumewu.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is rich with natural materials which can be created
\ninto handicraft items. This potential must be respected and
\nexplored,\" said Purser during the Gorgeous Gifts and Hampers for
\nthe Holiday Season, held at Plaza Indonesia, Central Jakarta last
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
He showed his skills by creating beautiful frames from banana
\nbark, wooden containers, fabrics and other artistic details from
\nilalang (wild grass). He also used batik motifs for his leather
\nframe.<\/p>\n
His products were made using local and natural materials. They
\nwere produced and assembled by nearly 2,000 workers in his
\nworkshop in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
\"It's challenging to find an original idea and if you love
\nnature it's easy to create something like these,\" he said, when
\nasked about inspirations for his creative products.<\/p>\n
His tips for personalized gifts include knowing what the
\nperson wants, never buying gifts from department stores (because
\nthe person can get it him\/herself) and never giving perfumes or
\nties as each person has his\/her own taste for such items.<\/p>\n
Robby expressed his love for \"old things\" as gifts. He hunted
\nfor some old favorite traditional snacks, like kue semprong ceper
\n(egg rolls), kue satu (meringue made of green beans) and kembang
\ngoyang, some old glass containers for the snacks and some bird
\ncages and bronze bokor (traditional bowls) to wrap the snacks
\nwith.<\/p>\n
He said he got the inspiration when going to pasar burung
\n(bird market) in Barito, South Jakarta, recently. It was noted
\ncloth designer Obin who reintroduced the delicious charm of some
\ndying traditional treats.<\/p>\n
\"She took me strolling along some small and muddy alleys in
\nGlodok, West Jakarta, looking for traditional snacks. I enjoyed
\nit (exploring traditional markets) very much. But these snacks
\nwere prepared by a friend of mine,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The snacks were among some old favorites, some are my
\nfavorites too but they have been slowly forgotten and the old
\nglass containers that I use are also rare items and I only found
\n25 pieces,\" Robby said.<\/p>\n
For him, making parcels is just a temporary business he does
\nif asked by friends.<\/p>\n
\"I didn't plan this business but friends called me and asked
\nme if I would create some parcels, so here I am,\" he laughed.<\/p>\n
His parcels are embellished with local spices and paddy,
\ngiving them a strong traditional look.<\/p>\n
\"I also use unique containers for the parcels, like these
\n(bird) cages. They would surely leave a lasting impression
\nbecause after receiving my parcels, the recipients would call me
\nand ask me how they can open these cages. And to tell you the
\ntruth I don't know either,\" he laughed, while jokingly adding
\nthat such confusion helped make the gift memorable.<\/p>\n
Fahira Idris, founder of leading parcel company Nabila Parcel,
\nsaid art objects or antiques would always make a precious gift.<\/p>\n
And to survive the economic crisis, gift consultants like
\nherself were challenged to create meaningful hampers even though
\nmost of her clients had reduced their budgets.<\/p>\n
\"I would survey the clients to know what kinds of gifts they
\nwere looking for,\" Fahira said.<\/p>\n
Apart from antiques, her parcels include aroma therapy, books
\nwith library accessories and a set of bathing products with
\ntowels, among others.<\/p>\n
While Plaza Indonesia also creates an extensive range of
\nbeautiful holiday gifts for chocolate, tea, coffee and wine
\nlovers, cosmetics, baby's needs for mothers, pasta package for
\ncook lovers, silverware and potpourri.<\/p>\n
But no matter what kinds of gifts you will hand over, your
\nattention counts most. And in the words of noted artist Christine
\nHakim, who is also Plaza Indonesia Ambassador, \"a meaningful gift
\nis not a matter of the price but the thought that went into
\nchoosing them\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/creativity-helps-create-gorgeous-gifts-and-wraps-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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