Velvet Wire Bouquets Bloom Into Steady Income For Housewife
By Sarinah Mat Kasim
SEREMBAN, July 13 (Bernama) -- What started as a hobby driven by a passion for art has now become a lucrative source of steady income for a housewife here, thanks to her creativity in crafting flowers from velvet wire.
Siti Amirah Pilus, 36, said she first ventured into floral arrangement in 2014 by taking orders for wedding gifts before switching entirely to crafting with velvet wire over the past three years.
“I started learning how to do velvet wire arrangements after being captivated by a tutorial on Instagram. I became interested, bought the wire, and tried it out. I saw that the results were quite good.
“It was quite difficult at first, but eventually it became easier once I got the rhythm and pattern down to make creations like flowers, keychains, decorations, and bouquets,” she told Bernama when met at her home here.
The mother of four said that small velvet wire arrangements can be completed within five minutes, while larger ones like bouquets take up to two hours and that her creations are sold at prices ranging from RM3.50 to RM250 depending on the type and customer request.
She said most customers usually order velvet bouquet arrangements and decorative flowers as gifts for convocation or retirement events, as they remain beautiful and do not wilt like real flowers, making them lasting keepsakes.
“Alhamdulillah, the response has been very encouraging. Every month I earn over RM1,500 from these arrangements, and once made up to RM8,000 when the product went viral on social media,” she said, adding that she runs the business from home.
The Jempol native said she is one of the entrepreneurs guided by the Community Development Department (KEMAS), from which she received a one-off assistance of RM5,000 through the Quick Win Programme.
Siti Amirah added that she continues to actively participate in various courses organised by KEMAS, particularly for micro-entrepreneurs, to deepen her business knowledge.
“My dream one day is to open a shop to sell my crafted and decorative products on a larger scale. Even if it’s a small venture, I’m satisfied when my customers are happy with my handiwork,” she said.
She also shared that she has no intention of letting her talent go to waste, but instead plans to use it to create meaningful products for herself and for lovers of floral art.
-- BERNAMA