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10 arts and crafts gift ideas from Craft Collective fair
Are you searching for unique Christmas gifts from the emerging local community of creatives? Look no further than the holiday craft fair happening right now at Quezon City’s famed Maginhawa Street!
Craft Collective began in December 2015 and plans to have themed events every quarter. Their second Holiday Fair, which began yesterday in Cocina Juan, features over a dozen artists and crafters plus live artists and musicians.
Check out these booths and more from 3 to 10 p.m. today in Maginhawa, or support them through their next pop-up booths, online stores and social media accounts!
1. UBots
UBots, short for Upcycled roBots, plays on the Filipino word abubot. Partners and zero-waste advocates Eryk Sabitsana and Bam Basbas started their “handmade hardware pop” décor project in 2009 using old keyboards, wires and appliances, even exchanging a product for their patrons’ keyboards over Facebook.
The charmingly-named species of UBots—Kwintatrons (pendant charms), E2-D2 (bookmarks), Tugz-Tugz (earphone charms and organizers), Bubwitz (keychains and bag charms), Gayumatrix (keychains), and Kuryentetrons (cord organizers)—are priced from P150 to P250.
Don’t worry if you can’t catch them today at Maginhawa; Eryk said they will also feature their products at The Craft Central in Greenbelt 5 over the next two weeks.
2. Sqooid
Tish Hautea has hand-carved stamps and block prints since 2014. The stamps can be used on paper, cloth, and wood—perfect for invitations, clothes, bags, and other souvenirs.
Sqooid stamps, which are made from locally sourced, sustainable wood, range from P250-P500, while stamp pads are priced at P50-P99. There's also a DIY stamp station where you can decorate your own drawstring bag for P490.
You can check these and other Sqooid products out at Common Room in Katipunan, The Craft Central, and on Etsy.
Sqooid: Facebook | Instagram | Etsy
3. Fake Alchemy
Mai Evangelista launched Fake Alchemy in 2014, selling jewelry made of quartz and other crystals and eventually branching out to concrete and glass creations.
Her beautiful bangles, earrings and pendants are priced from P200 to P350, while you can get a set of four of her hand-marbled coasters for P350. You can also choose your own stone and chain for a customized necklace for just P250. Watch out for her website coming up later this month!
Fake Alchemy: Facebook | Instagram
4. Bicspoke and Caligrafii
Jaime Sablay is one proud father: his daughter Jean created Bicspoke, which features handmade bike spoke bracelets (P150-P250) and custom stamped brass bracelets (P250), while he and his son Jimmy focus on Caligrafii, their gorgeous line of straight and oblique pen holders.
The holders are made of resin, hand-painted hickory wood (P2000-P2500), and even two-tone kamagong! Check out their social media pages too for designs like the Elder Wand from Harry Potter, which Jimmy says is a popular design.
Bicspoke: Facebook | Instagram
Caligrafii: Instagram
5. Krafty Pirate
Vien Yu is a self-described destroyer of books and comics; since 2011, she has upcycled these to quirky wallets, coin purses, pouches and other accessories for her shop Krafty Pirate.
If you’re a fan of Kikomachine, Archie, Calvin and Hobbes, DC and other comics, Krafty Pirate has something for you. You can check out Vien’s stuff at Common Room in Katipunan and Powerplant Mall, as well as at Mrs. Graham's on Scout Rallos, Quezon City.
Krafty Pirate: Facebook | Instagram
6. Camellingus Records/Malantot Comix
When I asked Gani Simpliciano to describe both Camellingus Records and Malantot Comix to me, he smiled before pointing to the cover of his comic book Antimatter, which was labeled “Not for Children.” Both started last year: Simpliciano and friends formed Camellingus to release demos of their doom and sludge metal bands, including Surrogate Prey (in which he plays drums), Kushagra, and Shaman’s Bud.
On the other hand, Malantot is a group of artists which “started from beer drinking and storytelling.” The self-described “enemy of the comics business” also features artists like Karlo Adviento, Gino Javier, Iya Regalario, Mike Macardo, and Matt Sudario. Order your graphic dose of dark comedy, erotic grotesque, and fantasy online for P200-P250 a pop.
Camellingus: Blogspot
Malantot Comix: Facebook | Blogspot
7. Sunday Paper
"We believe in making goods that are simple and functional” is the unassuming tagline of Angeli Pangilinan’s Sunday Paper. But the company has been doing mighty fine without fancy copy since it was launched in 2014; its elegant minimalist creations speak for themselves.
Unlined kraft and black notebooks start at P200, or you can get their black essential kit for P450. It contains unlined notebooks and stationery. They also sell a gorgeous travel journal with its own travel kit for P680.
You can buy their products via Facebook, but you can also check out their products at their next pop-up: Pursuit on December 10 at Warehouse Eight, Makati.
Sunday Paper: Facebook | Instagram
8. Bobby’s Hobbys
Bobby Ruiz has loved making origami since he was a child, but as he looked for other materials and learned from his fellow crafters, he has since branched out beyond paper. The craftsman’s booth also features stunning resin ref magnets, containing dried leaves and flowers, as well as “trees of life,” delicate creations wrought from crystal and wire.
You can buy Bobby’s bead earrings for P100, and his other jewelry for P200-P600. The big origami pieces are priced at P450 while the trees of life average around P600. He will launch his online shop soon, but in the meantime you can catch him at Cocina Juan or visit his booth at his next fair, Maker’s Market, happening on December 17 and 18 at Estancia.
Bobby’s Hobbys: Facebook | Instagram
9. Nerpita Art/Lauren Baldo
Nerpita Deona and Lauren Baldo, twentysomething artists from Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, are still wondering how to merge their creations in one brand, but I am not worried for them at all, judging from what’s at their shared booth.
Nerpita’s side is an explosion of pastels and romance, complete with cute buttons and stickers of cats and dogs. Lauren’s half, on the other hand, features more of the millennial witticisms on full display at the last rallies; see his stickers like the Hamilton-inspired “Millennials, we get the job done” or “Not Your Token Gay BFF”.
Stickers from both artists are priced at P15 while their button pins range from P25 to P100. Everything is reasonably priced; even Lauren’s zines are a steal at P100, and they come with a free button pin too.
Nerpita Deona: Instagram
Lauren Baldo: Instagram
10. Studio 925/Soul Flower
Last but not the least are the booths of the Craft Collective organizers themselves, Patricia Peralta and Janina Arias. The two are the crafters and creators of both Soul Flower, a handmade leather and jewelry store they launched back in 2010, as well as Studio 925, their silversmithing studio which they opened last year.
Soul Flower’s brass and copper earrings, rings, bangles and necklaces range from P590 to P850, while Studio 925’s sterling silver creations, made from melted jewelry and cutlery, range from P1,500 to P6,000.
Check out as well Soul Flower’s leather goodies, ranging from P50 cord organizers and key holders to notebook and passport holders which cost from P990 to P1,300.
Soul Flower products are available at The Craft Central and Common Thread branches, and will also have pop-up bazaars at Glorietta and Estancia this coming week. You can also drop by Studio 925 at 22 Malingap Street, also in Teachers Village, Quezon City, for DIY wedding rings and other metal, leather, and craft workshops.
Soul Flower: Facebook | Instagram
Studio 925: Facebook | Instagram
— BM, GMA News
