A thamboolam tray with a pair of groom and bride dolls attached to it, and a Little Mermaid themed birthday party giving away matching return gifts are setting a new trend in Coimbatore as ‘gifts with a difference’ are fast catching up.

Putting together such gifts for any occasion and encasing them appropriately to provide the ‘just for you’ moment, is Golden Wrap in Coimbatore, whose owner Sapna Koshy began with the gift hamper concept.

Beyond just bows and ribbons and classified gifts bought off supermarket shelves, Golden Wrap works hard on a gift and its presentation to add the distinctness quotient.

Golden Wrap was born in 2012 when new mother Sapna Koshy gave up her corporate career to indulge in her hobby – handmade gifts. Little mugs and photo frames given away as gifts to friends and relatives soon grew into a flourishing business that now has clients across India and even abroad.

“I started off with gift hampers, as I believed fishing out for not just one but more gifts is much more fun, said Koshy.

It’s really exciting to look forward to little things inside a goodie bag, she said.

Sapna’s business edge lies in that personalized touch she gives the gift by the way it is presented or assorted into carefully chosen items to go with the occasion or a birthday party theme, she said.

For instance, for a Little Mermaid themed birthday party, I packed the gifts that were given away as party favours with personalized wrappers bearing pictures of the Little Mermaid, she said.

The thamboolam or tray decoration also has her stamp, with glitter flowers adorning the tray, with a new addition being paper mache bride and groom dolls attached to the tray.

“The dolls on the thamboolam could add to the expenses, so I have started renting out the piece of deco for functions. It works well for the celebrants as well as for me.”

A detective themed birthday party gave away customized party favours such as spy glasses and pen torches covered in personalised gift-wrappers.

Sapna said she uses quality products to make her gifts, which will look subtle and classy.

“I don’t compromise on quality though I do offer clients, options to select based on price.”

The scope of creativity also depends on the price the client can afford, she said.

Sapna shops for deco material with the resources supplemented by her brother in the UK who sends her materials as Christmas presents.

Some are pretty simple ideas, she said.

For instance, the diapers we buy as part of a gift basket when visiting a new born are rolled into the shape of a layer cake with some decoration, she explained.

“But the happiness at receiving such gifts is immense,” she said.

The risk of duplicating such gifts is also very little, she said.

Sapna’s home-made chocolates bouquets projects have been successful.

“They are very popular and have even been sent abroad.”

The chocolates are tempered so that they don’t melt and then take various shapes according to client preferences, said Sapna, who has many corporates placing orders with her.

“I go big on corporate gift projects as they have no budget restrictions.”

Gifts for festivals and Diwali and Christmas have her on her feet as “there are a lot of attractive wrappings to do”.

Sapna said she is looking forward to work on spooky themes as well.

“I would like to work on a Halloween project, and Coimbatore is ready to celebrate a change.”

An invite also means scrambling, most of the time, to get the right gift.

It would also mean setting aside the weekend to scout around shopping centres and then wait in the queue to have it gift-wrapped.

But it is a boon if you have someone to work with you to land that perfect gift, and more, wrapped exquisitely.