01 · Craft Studio
Handmade commissions
Bespoke pieces made by hand: wedding stationery, original artwork, murals and upcycle projects from your own loved objects.
Explore the Craft Studio →The world needs more whimsy. 🌿A creative studio for makers, artists & craft-led businesses.
Mayadori helps artists, makers and small creative businesses grow through craft, design and storytelling. Led by Aparna Manaswini: architect, UX designer, educator and upcycle artist.
The person behind the studio
Hi, I’m Aparna.
I trained as an architect and worked for seven years as a UX and digital designer, building products, brands and creative programmes for studios, startups and charities.
Alongside that, I’ve always made things by hand: painting, block printing, upcycling, teaching. In 2025 I became a mother, and Mayadori is where those two worlds finally meet: careful design thinking and honest, handmade craft.
Why Mayadori exists
“The world doesn’t need more stuff. It needs more considered making: things built slowly, with story and soul. Mayadori is a small studio trying to do exactly that, and to help other makers do it too.”
What Mayadori does
Four ways the studio works
One studio, four pillars: craft, design, teaching and writing. Together they help artists and makers build businesses that feel genuinely their own.
02 · Creative Design Studio
UX, websites & brand
Design services for artists, makers and craft-led businesses: UX/UI, Shopify and bespoke sites, brand strategy and creative direction.
Work together →03 · Workshops
Learn to make, in person
Small-group upcycling and craft workshops in Northfleet, Kent, for children, families, teens and curious adults.
Book a workshop →04 · Journal
Notes on craft & design
Slow writing on making, sustainability, design and the reality of building a small creative studio.
Read the journal →Workshops · Northfleet, Kent
See all workshops →Come and make something with me
Children aged 5–12 join with a parent and come completely free. 🌿
🪵 Ages 5+ · Children under 13 with a parent
Carve & Press
90 minutes · £25 per person · Saturday mornings, Northfleet
Carve a small stamp from a lino sheet, then print it onto your own favourite clothing. Bring a tired shirt, jacket, bag or anything that needs new life, and walk out wearing your own whimsical design. Old clothes, new joy.
🧵 Ages 5+ · Children under 13 with a parent
Patch & Press
90 minutes · £25 per person · Saturday mornings, Northfleet
Make a whimsical patchwork panel by hand from upcycled fabric, then take it home to heat press onto anything: jeans, jacket, bag, backpack. Nothing bought new.
✏️ Ages 12–16
Teen Portfolio Session
2.5 hours · £28 per teen
Make something real, document the process, build the portfolio that gets you noticed. For teens with their eye on art & design schools.
♻️ Adults · 14+
Remake It - Upcycling
2 hours · £22 per person
Bring something worn or forgotten. Leave with something worth putting on your wall. No experience needed - just curiosity.
Craft Studio
Made by hand, from something loved
Bespoke pieces from reclaimed materials and natural colour: handpainted wedding invitations, original artwork, mural design and one-off upcycle projects from your own loved objects.
- · Bespoke wedding invitations & stationery
- · Commissioned upcycled artwork
- · Mural design & painting for homes & cafés
- · Bring your own object, upcycle commissions
Commissions from £35 · Wedding suites from £120 · Murals from £180
How Mayadori can help
Built for makers, artists and the curious
A glimpse of recent studio work: brand systems, product design and digital identities built for craft-led businesses.
Kurasee · Brand identity
Handblock linens · Product design
Bagicha Chic · Hand-painted sarees
Yemisi Art · Business health check
Artists & makers
You already make beautiful work, and you need a considered website, a real brand and language that sounds like you. That's where the Creative Design Studio comes in.
Work together →Craft-led founders
Small studios, Shopify shops, product businesses rooted in craft. UX, brand strategy and creative direction from someone who genuinely gets making.
See services →What people say
Words from the room
“Aparna has an incredibly intuitive way of teaching. She met Vanya where she was - and built from there. The sessions are engaging, warm, and genuinely creative.”
- Priyanka Mehta
Parent of Vanya · Children’s Workshop
“Aparna explains and demonstrates things clearly and is very structured in her approach. Even after one lesson I could see how much I would learn.”
- Helen
1:1 Session with Aparna
“Aparna brings passion, commitment and genuine design talent to everything she touches. I was lucky to have her - and I’d recommend her to anyone.”
- Meera Patel
Trustee, Rock Stone & Pebbles
“Her classes are creative, well-structured and inspiring. What I loved most is how she tailored every session to my level. Aparna’s passion for art is truly contagious.”
- Munmun
1:1 Session with Aparna
“Aparna has an incredibly intuitive way of teaching. She met Vanya where she was - and built from there. The sessions are engaging, warm, and genuinely creative.”
- Priyanka Mehta
Parent of Vanya · Children’s Workshop
“Aparna explains and demonstrates things clearly and is very structured in her approach. Even after one lesson I could see how much I would learn.”
- Helen
1:1 Session with Aparna
“Aparna brings passion, commitment and genuine design talent to everything she touches. I was lucky to have her - and I’d recommend her to anyone.”
- Meera Patel
Trustee, Rock Stone & Pebbles
“Her classes are creative, well-structured and inspiring. What I loved most is how she tailored every session to my level. Aparna’s passion for art is truly contagious.”
- Munmun
1:1 Session with Aparna
Whimsy. Story. Texture. Soul.
What next?
Four ways to start with Mayadori
Whether you want to build a creative business, commission something handmade, come and make in person, or simply read along, there's a door in for you.