Next time you cook up a feast fit for a king, dish out d?cor to match. Keep away your boring fabric or plastic and flaunt table accessories in colourful meenakari on wood, exuding a regal look (picture by Rashbehari Das).

The traditional Rajasthani craft, usually used in jewellery, is now being transferred onto table mats, napkin holders, spoon rings, flower vases and even on framed paintings.

A smooth finish is achieved by laminating the objects after meena has been done on the wooden frame and it is lacquered. It is then shrink-wrapped for long-lasting effect, a transparent covering that can be replaced when it tears for Rs 20 per article.

The objects themselves are rather expensive though. An 18-by-12-inch table mat with meenakari costs Rs 1,000, while those of the same size with patti meenakari (enamelling only on the borders) cost Rs 900 each. The centre in this case sports a white-metal finish.

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There are 8-by-8-inch mats also, which cost a little less. The mats are available in a variety of shapes and can be square, rectangular, oval, round or rectangular.

Napkin holders cost Rs 300 and do not have such a smooth finish, as they cannot be laminated owing to their vertical shape. There are tiny spoon rings that cost Rs 100 each, the fastest moving objects in this category, only one-and-a-half inch in diameter. Teakwood is used in this case, which makes it easier to drill a hole in the holder. For other objects, waterproof plywood or a kind of artificial wood that is slimmer is used. Small flower vases in the same format are available for Rs 450 to Rs 500.

Of late, dressing table sets that include two small seven-inch-diameter round mats, a 15-by-10-inch oval mat, comb holder, jewellery box, flower vase and even an ornate dustbin have been introduced. The small mats are priced at Rs 500 each, while the bigger one costs Rs 900. Comb holders are Rs 300, jewellery boxes are Rs 500 to Rs 1,200, flower vases cost Rs 450 and dust bins are priced at Rs 700.

To adorn the walls, there are paintings with splashes of meenakari. The set is maintenance-free and can be just wiped clean with a dry cloth. Mild detergent can also be used.

While the standard repertoire is always available, there are options to get them custom-made as well in colours to match the rest of the d?cor. The dining sets make for excellent wedding gifts.