Imprints pals, we are back. Starting off with something simple.
Did you know that the bindi, bottu or pottu that is so much a part of us Indian women, is not exactly confined to India alone? It is worn in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Of late, the trend of Western celebrities wearing it has become the topic of chatpata debates in the online world.
But to think of it, this dot between the brows has gone places! I was amazed to know that in history, Chinese women wore a form of bindi, to decorate their foreheads. Only, it was more floral.
Apparently there are communities in Africa that use tattoos on their foreheads too. Is it not wonderful, that the little dot that was once a sign of a single culture has found existence elsewhere in the world!
I do not wear it on a daily basis. But when I wear something desi and grand, I love wearing the dot, big and bright.
Sticker bindis are the trend today, a long way from those Shringar and Eyetex chand tubes of liquid our moms used, and still long way from the skillful smearing of kumkum by our grandmas.
The question is, should the sticker bindi packets stay too? I would say, do anything to keep them away from landfills.
While I wait for some superbrain to design a more eco-friendly bindi packet, I look for ways to keep out of the trash can and eventually landfill. Here is the keepsake idea I worked on.
You could stick in
Still better, throw in a post-it slip that you need to preserve.
This keepsake works superb for wallets and purses that do not have an in-built frame in them, and complements those that do. Alternatively, you could place it in a book as a bookmark, or pin it up on your office desk (so that it does not leave a hole on the actual photo in it).
Please note: the above picture I have used for representation only. There are photo edits in this, to morph faces of people, and brand name of the bindi packet.
If the brand name is some pics, it is inadvertent.
Among items you need for this quickie project, are of course the used sticker bindi packets.
This is how it works...the plastic sheet front flap of a sticker bindi packet works beautifully to give it a photo frame feel.
And we're gonna exploit just that.
The super quick procedure can take less than 10 minutes with all that you have.
You need:
- a plier or something flat to remove the staples in the packet
- a pair of scissors to trim your picture or the piece of paper with a quote
- glue
Optional items:
- sandpaper to remove any exisiting gloss while gluing the smaller flap to the packet's rear
- Stickers to embellish
Did you know that the bindi, bottu or pottu that is so much a part of us Indian women, is not exactly confined to India alone? It is worn in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Of late, the trend of Western celebrities wearing it has become the topic of chatpata debates in the online world.
But to think of it, this dot between the brows has gone places! I was amazed to know that in history, Chinese women wore a form of bindi, to decorate their foreheads. Only, it was more floral.
Apparently there are communities in Africa that use tattoos on their foreheads too. Is it not wonderful, that the little dot that was once a sign of a single culture has found existence elsewhere in the world!
I do not wear it on a daily basis. But when I wear something desi and grand, I love wearing the dot, big and bright.
Sticker bindis are the trend today, a long way from those Shringar and Eyetex chand tubes of liquid our moms used, and still long way from the skillful smearing of kumkum by our grandmas.
The question is, should the sticker bindi packets stay too? I would say, do anything to keep them away from landfills.
While I wait for some superbrain to design a more eco-friendly bindi packet, I look for ways to keep out of the trash can and eventually landfill. Here is the keepsake idea I worked on.
You could stick in
- a picture of your favourite people or your wedding snap,
- a favourite quote or simply tuck in more stickers.
Still better, throw in a post-it slip that you need to preserve.
This keepsake works superb for wallets and purses that do not have an in-built frame in them, and complements those that do. Alternatively, you could place it in a book as a bookmark, or pin it up on your office desk (so that it does not leave a hole on the actual photo in it).
Please note: the above picture I have used for representation only. There are photo edits in this, to morph faces of people, and brand name of the bindi packet.
If the brand name is some pics, it is inadvertent.
Among items you need for this quickie project, are of course the used sticker bindi packets.
This is how it works...the plastic sheet front flap of a sticker bindi packet works beautifully to give it a photo frame feel.
And we're gonna exploit just that.
The super quick procedure can take less than 10 minutes with all that you have.
You need:
- a plier or something flat to remove the staples in the packet
- a pair of scissors to trim your picture or the piece of paper with a quote
- glue
Optional items:
- sandpaper to remove any exisiting gloss while gluing the smaller flap to the packet's rear
- Stickers to embellish
Before you proceed, make sure you remove the staples from the packet
You could use an old ice-cream stick or spoon too for this. Use the same tools to flatten out those visible holes. If the staple holes are visible on the packet's front side, you could use tiny stickers to cover up. Just a judgement of aesthetics there.
Next up, what are you waiting for?
Go on, cut up a keepsake picture from your old photos stash, or cut out a quote...
Just make sure that the picture or paper you fix, is large enough to fit the rear flap. Also, position it so you see the portion that you want to see through the plastic frame.
Once you finish gluing the picture in, remember to glue the flap behind, to the packet. You may notice in some cases, that the packet's rear is glossy.
Here is where sandpaper comes in handy, rub it a little on the area of the packet where you must glue the flap on.
I was in the mood for kitsch big time. So here it is, stickers from my stash that became a collage.
Here is also an example for a wedding pic. Sorry folks, have blurred out our faces on the wedding picture here.
I love books...and found a cartoon very endearing. So here it is...another option...
Go on, improvise with what you have. Write in and mail in your own versions...you can use bindis to embellish too.
They fit perfect into that party clutch of yours, or a wallet.
Just make sure they do not enter the dustbin.
Pictures by: M Radhika
For permissions, write to: radicreative@gmail.com
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