How do you like to show your Filipino pride or nationalism? For many, it’s by patronising local products. Others like to do it in the way they speak or write in Filipino language. Merely choosing to stay in the Philippines despite brighter opportunities abroad is another.
But here’s another idea that you might also find interesting — owning miniature accessories and ornaments inspired by fun facets of the Filipino culture! Thanks to a local arts and crafts store called The Rhicrafts, you can get your hands on items like a mini sari-sari store, Pinoy food-inspired phone cases, and many more.
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Miniature accessories you can get at The Rhicrafts
Owned by miniature artist, Rhica Obien, The Rhicrafts has been specialising in miniature accessories with a Filipino twist since 2014. As mentioned earlier, the products range from tiny replicas of our localised convenience stores and fruit stands, to phone cases, keychains inspired by the rich Filipino cuisine.
Among those that have really been getting so much interest on The Rhicrafts’s social media pages are phone cases sculpted and painted to look like Filipino street food and snacks. There are taho and nilaga-designed phone cases, to name a few. To add, there are cases with puto bumbong, kare-kare, and Filipino-style barbecue designs.
Aside from these, The Rhicrafts takes pride in halo-halo and pandesal keychains. The artist even shared her personal attachment to the pandesal design. “Pinapalaman ko sa mayonnaise na may itlog or peanut butter, and sometimes I dip it in sweet coffee,” she said in one post. “It’s my fave combo no matter how weird it may sound.”
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You can also see her intricately created mini sari-sari stores. For this, the artist also drew inspiration from a childhood memory. “When I was in elementary school, ako lagi pinagbabantay ni mama sa tindahan. Mamamalengke siya tuwing hapon at pag-uwi inya sasabihin niya sa akin, ‘sige kuha ka na ng gusto mong kainin’. Yun ‘yong pinaka-reward ko sa pag bantay.”
Even the products usually sold at these versions of the Filipino-style store have been reimagined by The Rhicrafts. For example, she also made branded shampoo sachets, soaps, powdered drinks, canned goods, junk food, and soft drinks.
The list of miniature accessories and ornaments goes on. The artist has also made reconceptualisations of a cake store, a flower shop, dining utensils, gadgets, viands, street food, coffee beverages, and even complete fast-food meals. She even made miniature BTS meal earrings!
Where to buy The Rhicrafts’ miniature accessories
Interested in buying miniature accessories from The Rhicrafts? You can get selected pieces on Shopee! If you have any special requests, you can message the artist on her official social media channels, too.
The quotes above have been edited for grammar, clarity, and flow. All images credited to The Rhicrafts | Official Facebook Page
