Auroville Press, Pondicherry

Today's post, i feel speaks for itself for the most part - no elaborate stories, no process descriptions - just the beauty of nature inspired paper products! 

At Auroville Press, Pondicherry, in depth research and years of experimentation has resulted into an amazing collection of bright colorful and fun range of paper products. Their aspiration is to manifest beauty and bring it into many aspects of their daily life. Auroville press works in tandem with local villagers for its various units including a printing and bindery unit that undertakes local, national and international projects. Details of their range of services can be found here. 


As for today's feature, the hand made paper products include journals, photo albums, table mats, gift tags, invites, gift wraps, photo frames, jewelry etc. All these products are made using vegetal fibres, free from toxic substances and its manufacturing does not require felling of trees! 

Here's a glimpse at some of their product range - explore more here. Enjoy! :)

"Nature contributes lavishly to the making of our products: entire gardens and forests flowers, petals, leaves, grass, pods, etc. combine to adorn and put their living forms and spirit onto the paper, making each item a unique and beautiful creation." Truly, isn't it?

Green Design Feature : Eco-Friendly Slippers

Satish and Falguni Gokhale, designers of this classic product and that of many other super creative products run Design Directions. The company recently won the prestigious Business World Design Brilliance Award for Design for the 5th time! This last award is won in the category of BEST DIGITAL DESIGN AWARDS. The company is committed to make sensible designs which not only appeal directly to the customers instincts and aspirations but also are technically sound, easy to manufacture and market. Currently, based out of Pune, they have a promising portfolio that speaks of their work!

Solemates

Solemates are disposable footwear made from 100% recycled paper. The footwear is ideal for tropical climate. ‘Solemates’ is a good solution to be used in hospitals, clinics, software industries, religious places, meditation and wellness centers, spa’s, aircrafts with longer flying routes, hotels besides just to be used at home. 

Solemates are made from 100% recycled newsprint, Kraft and any other non-laminated paper pulp. It is completely bio-degradable. The manufacturing process is similar to any papier mache manufacturing process. Even the cord and the support tube are made from twisted unbleached Kraft paper.
It has a natural unbleached look. Vertical grooves along the length of the product create an interesting pattern and also help in creating the right stiffness and thereby increases the product performance and life.

An awesome product with very practical usage!

Product Feature : Earthen Tree - Creative, Natural, Handcrafted

"Our aim is simple. Our natural wooden toys are not just that. They are works of art, made from eco friendly materials to create safe toys that have a great story to tell. We believe in keeping our costumers informed and knowledgeable, while making these toys fun and educational for children." - Earthen Tree Toys

Pull toys

Earthen Tree Toys are stunning, natural and exquisitely beautiful toys with each toy having a colorful story to tell. Although the company is based out of Kirkland, Washington, each toy is handmade by an artisan in a community in South India. These toy-making techniques are over two centuries old, and oftentimes artisans have learned and inherited their skills as they were passed down by previous generations of family toy-makers.

Pull Toys

Baby Toys and Rattles

These wooden toys are made from sustainable Hale and Rubber wood trees. They are stained with natural and vegetable based dyes. It's hard to believe how such vibrant colors come out of nature, totally harmless and yet absolutely beautiful. I was quite surprised when i read this list of their natural and vegetable dyes sources :

Dark Blue/black: Extracts from the Indigo Plant

Yellow: Turmeric Powder

Orange: Kanchi KumKum and Turmeric

Red: Kanchi KumKum and Natural Alizarin

Dark Brown: Extracts from the Ratanjyoti Tree

Light Brown: Extracts from Katha

Cool Games

Stacker

Materials used to create each toy are sustainable, lead-free, and non-toxic. A traditional lacquer technique, also safe and non-toxic, is applied to each toy. There is a vast range of toys distributed under different categories such as pull toys, baby toys and rattles, stacker, musical toys, educational toys and some cool games, even key chains!

Keychains

Artisan Group Feature : Palm Leaf Weaving

Bored of the usual mono colored baskets sitting around the table or on your bathroom shelves? Do you find them either just too dark or too light and not bright enough to light up the room with energy? Well end your despair here my friends. Check out these really cool colorful and fun baskets, that are made by palm leaf weaving also known as Kottans. These are made by our artisans from Tamilnadu, South of India. This organisation began as an initiative to income generation and culture preservation in the year 2000. The foundation supports building new markets for Kottans (palm leaf basket) through interventions that assist craftspeople to adapt their traditional weaving styles whilst incorporation contemporary color and design. 

Kottans - Palm Leaf Weaving Baskets 

available at TGE

Multipurpose Baskets

Multipurpose Baskets, Boxes and Pen Holder

Storage Boxes

Multipurpose Baskets, Pen Holders

Tray and Place mats
While we mention this group also check out these cool palm leaf bags. These are one of my own favorites in the entire collection! :)

Handbag

Shoulder Bags

Artisan Group Feature : Kishkinda Trust

Kishkinda Trust promotes banana-plant based handicrafts with women artisans of Anegundi, thus providing them with a means of livelihood. The natural fibre cottage industry was set up in 1999 and has been using locally available banana fibre extracted from the trunk of the banana plant, Shorba grass, river grass and other locally available fibres. It has been a livelihood means for its 205 women since it's inception. TKT emphasizes the utilization of eco friendly materials that are locally available. The banana fiber is utilized as raw material along with other natural fibers to produce wide-ranging products including bags, mats, quilts and decorative fringes. Over the years these products have secured clients from all over India and from abroad. These women artisans have formed a federation comprising of 15 villages. Regular training workshops are conducted in Design and Technical Development assisting them to upgrade their skills and build their capacity. 

Kishkinda products available at TGE...

Banana Fiber Baskets

Banana Fiber Floor Cushions

All of their hand-crafted products provide an independent income for village women. Apart from providing financial support, the federation has played a major role in empowering and transforming these shy women into confident individuals.

Artist/Artisan Feature : Pure Ghee Designs

I was just browsing through the list of our eco-friendly product producers and came across Aditi Prakash's work. Amongst all her beautiful work, this innovative squiggly twist given to the Sabai grass basket - the material we spoke about this morning caught my eye first. It's an amazing adaptation of the material that otherwise has been used more conventionally than artistically. I had to but share it with yall! 

Squiggly Sabai Grass 

Basket Close Up

Design Alternate

Aditi has established a research, design and production studio called Pure Ghee Designs that aims to deliver exceptional cultural content and celebrate the Indian design aesthetic. Here is a glimpse of some of her other colorful work. 

Bags made from different cloth types

Coin pouches made of Silk and scraps

 Colorful Mobile Cases

Charms made from scraps

Aditi was shortlisted for the YCE Awards this year by the British Council. She says modestly "Did not expect this! Especially because Pure Ghee Designs (the company) is less than a year old." Well, Aditi, you definitely seem very deserving! :) Loved your work!

Artisan Group Feature : Kadam

Happy Monday morning people!! ghrrrr... i heaaar youuuu :) well i've bought you some mid morning snack for thought for you to munch on... for the remaining four days we'l do some home accents in our 10 day countdown to Thanks Giving by thanking our artisans!

Today we're presenting Kadam - an NGO

This organisation aims at tackling the problems of uneducated youth migration to urban cities which lead to the problems of Urban Slums, unemployment, rampant violence and street children being a direct fall-out of this migration at the grass root level. The volunteers and professional try to create viable employment opportunities at the village level for the youth and work towards good education conditions for children. They train the artisans to make finished products using natural resources in order to create balance in the environment using technology for the overall economic development. The ngo rolls the profits for the holistic development of the villages and artisans. Bio degradable products for everyday living is what the company is synonym with. 
Sabai grass and date palm leaves are abundant in Orissa and are used to make rope and plaits which are further converted into baskets or covering furniture.

Sabai Grass Products are available at TGE

Moon Basket

Round Basket with Lid

Sabai Oval Basket

Available in set of 3

Other interesting products made by the same organisation using natural Bark Wood

Cheese Platter, Shell Spoons & Fruit Fork