Stories

Guides to dressing, craft, care, the table and gifting, written in our Ahmedabad studio.

Reverse of handloom cloth with loose thread ends and tied knots beside the clean uniform reverse of powerloom fabric — how to tell handloom from powerloom, House of Falguni

Materials & Craft

Handloom vs Powerloom: How to Tell the Difference Before You Buy

Handloom and powerloom fabric can look identical on a screen and cost ten times apart in a shop. Six physical checks you can run in under a minute, what the...

10 minute read

Blue pottery bowl held to window light, rim glowing faintly translucent — how to identify Jaipur blue pottery, House of Falguni

Materials & Craft

Jaipur Blue Pottery: The Craft With No Clay, and How to Care for It

Jaipur blue pottery contains no clay at all. It is built from quartz powder, glass and gum, fired low, and painted with cobalt by hand. What the craft is, why...

8 minute read

Red bandhani cloth with hand-tied knots partly opened to reveal the dot pattern — how to identify real bandhani, House of Falguni

Materials & Craft

What is Bandhani? Gujarat's Tie-Dye Craft, and How to Spot a Real One

Bandhani is tied by hand, one knot at a time, before it ever meets dye. What bandhani is, how it differs from leheriya, how to tell real bandhej from a...

10 minute read

Macro of a mirror held to cloth by a collar of rust-red thread crossing its rim — hand-set abhla mirror work, House of Falguni

Materials & Craft

What is Mirror Work? Kutch Abhla Bharat Embroidery, Explained

Mirror work is not decoration that was added later. In Kutch it began as protection, then became a language of community and identity. What abhla bharat is, how artisans stitch...

10 minute read

Reverse of a hand-stitched fabric earring beside the smooth moulded back of a mass-produced one — how to tell if jewellery is handmade, House of Falguni

Jewellery

Handmade Jewellery Online in India: How to Judge Craft, Quality and Price

Handmade is the least regulated word in Indian jewellery. What separates handcrafted from assembled, the eight things to check in a product listing, what materials really mean for skin and...

8 minute read

Gold-tone stainless steel dessert spoons and handcrafted tableware laid out for a Dhanteras 2026 utensil purchase

Festive & Occasion

What to Buy on Dhanteras 2026: A Guide to Utensils, Metal and the Table

Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday 6 November. Why the custom is utensils rather than ornament, what counts as an auspicious buy, and how to choose steel, ceramic and marble for...

8 minute read

Handcrafted Diwali gifts from House of Falguni, with gold-tone dessert spoons and hand-glazed ceramic set out on a festive table

Festive & Occasion

Diwali Gifts 2026: A Handcrafted Gifting Guide for Family, Colleagues and the Home

Diwali gift ideas for 2026, arranged across the five days of the festival and by recipient, with handcrafted ceramic, marble and jewellery made in Ahmedabad. Prices and sizes given plainly.

14 minute read

Hand-painted indigo ceramic cups and plates set with dal-chawal and mithai on an Indian table

Home & Table

How to Choose Hand-Painted Ceramic Tableware for an Indian Home

A practical guide to choosing, mixing and caring for hand-painted ceramic cups and plates — built around the way Indian homes actually eat, host and share chai.

8 minute read

Blush ceramic mug, jewellery dish and jasmine vase styled on an oval white marble tray

Dressing & Styling

Marble Tray Decor Ideas: 7 Quiet Ways to Use One Around the Home

Seven practical marble tray decor ideas for the dining table, vanity, entryway and guest bathroom plus simple care advice for natural stone.

9 minute read

Hand-painted ceramic cups, a blue plate with mithai, marble tray and coasters arranged for a housewarming gift

Home & Table

Housewarming Gifts in India: 8 Handcrafted Ideas People Will Actually Use

Eight useful housewarming gift ideas for Indian homes, from hand-painted chai cups and ceramic plates to marble coasters and a quietly versatile tray.

8 minute read

An Indian chai table set for four with hand-painted blue ceramic cups, quarter plates, mithai, marble coasters and gold-tone teaspoons on warm wood

Dressing & Styling

How to Set a Chai Table for Indian Guests: Cups, Snacks and the Small Details

A practical guide to setting an Indian chai table with cups, quarter plates, snacks, coasters and a clear four-person layout for everyday and unexpected guests.

8 minute read

Ivory macramé and tufted cushion covers styled on a grey linen sofa beside a cane cabinet

Dressing & Styling

How to Style Textured Cushion Covers: Macramé, Tufting and Ivory Neutrals

How to style ivory textured cushion covers, hand-knotted macramé and hand-tufted neutrals from sizing and layering to care. A practical guide from House of Falguni's Home edit.

9 minute read

An Indian dessert table with kheer garnished with pistachio in sage green ceramic bowls, gold dessert spoons and a hand-painted blue and white plate

Dressing & Styling

How to Set an Indian Dessert Table: Gold Spoons, Sage Bowls and Hand-Painted Ceramic

Set a festive Indian dessert table with gold-tone dessert spoons, reactive-glaze sage bowls and hand-painted ceramic — plus how much to set out and how to care for each. From...

8 minute read