Vaishali Vijaykumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: Cut a long ribbon. Bring the tail ends to the middle. Adjust the proportions. Fold the left loop over the right. This is your basic bow. For most people, bows are synonymous with ribbons. Depending on its utility, bows can be used as hair accessories, gift wrapping, crafts and even to spruce up your mundane outfit. Prathiba Selvam handcrafted bows can be used standalone accessory for pets, men and women. Her Instagram page, It’s a Bow Thing is a bow-lover’s delight. “As part of our elective in college, we were asked to make handcrafted items. I chose bow as a base material since wearing one was considered a western concept. After marriage, I had some free time after moving to Sivakasi. I started this hobby once again and used it as a tool to empower the local women who were already good with handwork, quilting and sewing. We have an in-house studio where the bows are made based on demand,” says Prathiba, a BCA graduate and entrepreneur who shuttles between Chennai and Sivakasi. Fabric sourcing is the most important aspect of the business, she says. Off late, Prathiba has been recycling and using disposed clothes to make bows. Pinwheel, bow ties and sailor bows are some of her specialities. “Bows for pets are popular. It’s a simple mini bow. I receive a picture of the dog and craft the bow according to their size, and design it in a way it can easily be chipped on to the collar. On average, a bow takes five minutes to make. When it comes to making, sailor bow is wider and tougher to make,” she says. The online brand is a few months old. She uses bows in scrunchies, hair bands and hair clips, too. Her latest experiment is ethnic bows made of silk fabric. This can be paired with traditional garments. “I want to bring the concept of a bow into flip-flop slippers, jewellery and sling bags. People have not thought of many ways of sporting a bow. The best way would be to use a bow to tie on a plaited hair or a hair bun. It’s also a classic accessory that compliments a tie for men,” she says. The products are shipped across the country.For details, visit her Instagram page: It’s a Bow Thing, or call: 9360038353

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