BY VIVYNNA ANN CHABU
KUCHING: Little Aiman Handmadecraft was born out of the unique journey in motherhood as parent to an autistic child and a deep passion for crafting.
Norhan Matjais, 47, housewife and also the owner of Little Aiman Handmadecraft, said her passion for creating baby and mother handicraft products was sparked after watching a television personal promoting baby pillows and blankets.
Additionally, she mentioned the difficulty of finding newborn baby products at shops or boutiques, noting the high price tags making her decide to create her own baby and mother products.
“I had previous sewing experience and decided to challenge myself with some simple crafts, such as creating a binder for a newborn baby.
“I took classes at Pusat Latihan Kraftangan Epal and improved on my sewing skills there,” she said.
The business journey and name inspiration
At the outset her brother was the first to show support for Norhan’s passion. He bought her a Singer brand sewing machine, setting in motion the journey of Little Aiman Handmadecraft.
Norhan revealed that her first handicraft was a birthday present for a friend and was not intended for sale.
“I was nobody and not confident enough with the quality of my product at that time.
“Out of the blue, I received a call from a boutique in Demak. They reached out to me with an exciting opportunity to become their vendor for baby and mother products.”
Norhan proudly mentioned that the inspiration for the name Little Aiman Handmadecraft came from her youngest son’s name.
Initially, it was called ‘Aiman Design’, but a friend who also specialises in handcrafting recommended the name ‘Little Aiman Handmadecraft’, and that’s how the name came to be.
“So, everytime I go to events, my youngest son will follow me and name himself as CEO of this business.”
Crafting Products
Little Aiman Handmadecraft offers a wide range of products for babies, including blankets, hairbands, hats, bibs, burp cloths, nursing covers, newborn binders, soft toys, pillows, and sets that include neck pillows and mattresses.
Norhan mentioned that she particularly enjoys making baby hats and baby hairbands.
“I absolutely adore this hairband! The flower is incredibly adorable, and I put all my love into designing it, even though I don’t have a daughter to wear it.”
She also takes delight in the hat with the dinosaur design saying it is absolutely adorable. Not only does it look cute, but the fabric is also elastic, ensuring it stays securely on the baby’s head.
As a parent with an autistic child, she also created unique blankets for her own child, incorporating specific materials to support his motor and sensory needs.
“My third child has mild autism, but he is doing well now. He has been the inspiration behind the creation of this blanket.”
There are two sides of her blanket design. One is made with cotton fabric, while the other uses minky fabric, which is great for stimulating a child’s sensory motor skills.
There is also one design that is unique or almost unheard of, a nursing cover. A cover that can be used by mothers to breastfeed their baby in public and the design is very flexible and colourful.
Norhan always goes to the General Hospital for her child’s check-up and as part of autistic parent community, she also sells her products twice a month there.
“There I see mothers struggling to breastfeed their babies in public and I was thinking about how I can help these fellow mothers.”
Challenge of small business crafter
Norhan faces the challenge of competing with other handcrafters as a small business owner.
“There are many crafters in Kuching who specialise in baby and mother products, and the competition is fierce, especially considering crafters from the peninsula region.”
When Norhan was new to the industry, she encountered challenges with dissatisfied customers who purchased items from her online store.
“When I first began, my lack of experience resulted in a product quality that wasn’t quite up to par. As a result, customers expressed their dissatisfaction with my sewing.
“Currently, I have halted production of the products and I am still actively seeking a solution to enhance quality.”
“At times, I found it necessary to modify the design of my product in order to meet the high standards and expectations of my customers.”
Norhan said improving the quality can either be altering the fabric or adjusting the sewing style.
Online or physical store
The mother of four expressed her preference for conducting her business in person rather than online.
“Although I don’t have a physical store, I enjoy selling my product in person by participating in various events.
“I enjoy engaging in conversations with my customers, allowing them to interact with and experience my product firsthand. During these interactions, I take the opportunity to explain the reasoning behind my choice of fabric to them.”
Norhan mentioned that this year she will not be taking online orders as she wants to focus on enhancing her creativity first after the long lull due to Covid-19.
“ I might accept online orders in 2025 but for this year I want to focus on my design first. I want to venture more designs to my own liking before I do custom designs for others.”
Sweetest achievement and hope
Norhan also excitedly recounts her proudest moment as a crafter, when she was selected to be a vendor at the Global Muslim Business Forum held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) last year.
“The sale at the event was my highest and I had the opportunity to connect with international customers. It was truly fulfilling to see them appreciate and enjoy my product.”
Just like any other small business owner Norhan wishes to open her own store.
“I hope I can showcase my products in my small store where I also can share with the customer why I decided to make these products.
“I am also joining embroidery classes right now, and hopefully in the future I can design my product with custom embroidery.”
“I just hope my products can help ease all the problems that mothers, especially first-time mothers face, make them enjoy and love the journey of motherhood.”
For more information, reach out to Norhan on her Instagram at little_aiman_handmadecraft or contact her via Whatsapp at 012-413 6621.
