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Just in time for the holiday season, 134 artists are coming together to participate in the Snowflake Craft Fair being organised by the American Women’s Association (AWA) this coming weekend.
The fair is taking place on Saturday from 11am to 4pm at the Diplomat Radisson Blue’s Grand Ambassadors Ballroom, under the patronage of Shaikha Thajba bint Salman Al Khalifa, with the proceeds earmarked for donation to charities.
“We are excited to finally be able to bring Snowflake back after a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic - it is the most popular craft fair in Bahrain and people ask about it all the time,” the fair’s chairperson Amanda Alsalaiti told GulfWeekly.
“This festive time of year is the perfect time with so many holidays around the corner. We want to give people a chance to buy unique handcrafted gifts and special products for their family and friends.
“This is AWA’s 48th year in Bahrain and the craft fair has been popular pretty much since the beginning. The last fair was held in 2019, so we are eager to bring it back.”
A variety of items, including home-made soaps and bath bombs, macramé, art pieces, holiday gifts, abayas and caftans, will be on display, with prices ranging from BD1 to BD300.
There is a BD1 entry into the fair, which will be donated to charity, alongside the table rental fees, net of expenses.
“The vendors have created some fantastic handicrafts and AWA has our own stall with items that the members have been busy making over the last year,” Amanda added.
Dareen Sameh has been busy working with Egyptian crafters to create unique and colourful home décor pieces.
“I co-operate with Egyptian crafters to put unique designs, to be hand-embroidered or hand-painted with all kinds of colours, which can bring any space to life,” the founder of ‘About Details 1980’ explained.
Meanwhile, Amyra Sharma has turned her desire to create natural and chemical-free soap for her children, who have sensitive skin, into a passion and perfection-driven enterprise.
“I had learnt about the soap-making process back home and thought it would be fun to be able to make for my children,” the founder of Natkri Soaps explained.
“And, oh boy, that was the beginning of an obsession and now I wake up thinking about soap and go to bed dreaming about soap.
“And that’s how Natkri Soaps started, with my children’s name Nat (short for Natalia, my daughter) and Kri (short for Krishiv, my son).
“Making soap is my therapy and making colourful, bright and vibrant soaps makes me happy.”
Nissy Ephraim, of Essential HappyNiss, is fuelling her love for essential oils into her products to be showcased at the Snowflake Fair.
“I started using essential oils three years ago and realised how incredible they are for everything - from making your home smell beautiful and feel cosy, to helping with stress, to wellness and as a natural support for a healthy lifestyle,” the mother-of-two explained.
“My enterprise was born from my passion to share high quality essential oils and a more natural lifestyle.
“I have also been running small workshops to educate people about the benefits of essential oils and how to use them safely and with purpose and confidence!”
For more details, follow @awabahrain on Instagram.
