Bhubaneswar, Jan. 7: Artist Sujit Kumar Bose never thought his innovative pastime would one day transfigure into utilitarian home décor items.

The ongoing Sisir Saras exhibition at the Exhibition Ground showcases his craftsmanship.

The motto of the 60-year-old is 'Not to not let anything go waste'.The artist, who lives in Bhubaneswar, hails from Bari, Jajpur. His home is his atelier full of old invitation cards, jute strings, cold drink caps, water bottles, fruit seeds, nuts, cereals and many such knick-knacks that are no more in use. After coming from office, he sits with the garbage to create beautiful craft items.

His handmade greeting cards, photo frames, bed lamps, candle stands and dry food containers are a rage.

Old magazine papers andcolourful invitation cards are his main resources, which he cuts into narrow strips and coils them to make various shapes.

'Playing with papers was a mere pastime when I was a child. There was hardly any festival when I didn't make attractive festoons and decorative pieces. As I grew up, it became a part of me quite unknowingly. Now, I can't remember a day when I didn't do anything creative,' says the artist as he sticks paper-coils onto a glossy greeting card.

In 2013, Bose had made 500-odd handmade greeting cards on his own and sold them all for the New Year eve. This time, he saved his cards for the Sisir Saras fair.

'On having a glance of my art objects, an officer of the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society encouraged me to come up with more ideas, so that I could put up a stall at the exhibition. I never thought there would be so many takers for this art, which demands little investment,' he says.

With the support of one Maa Siddheswari Sakti Swayam Sahayika Gosthi from Bari, Bose is successfully making the recycled paper art into a business.

He trained the self-help group before putting up his stall, and now, as many as 14 women of the group are making money out of it.

Greeting cards are ranged between Rs 40 and Rs 50. Vases and bed lamps are priced between Rs 150 and Rs 200.

Bose's paper art is fast getting reorganisation. He has been invited by the Sai International School to hold a workshop there.

Organisers of the Parab festival are also showing interest in his craftwork.