Craftonesia is an MSME engaged in craft that utilizes community paper waste. Craftonesia transforms waste paper into high-value works of art using weaving techniques and waterproof coating processes. Piliani Ernawati started the business in June 2021 as a solution to manage the piles of newsprint that had accumulated in her home. Craftonesia used to be called “Rumah Raffa Craft”, as Ms. Piliani previously had another business called “Rumah Raffa Cake and Cookies.” Then the name changed to “Craftonesia” after getting an overview from one of the mentors in the field of economics.
    Her first project was making woven paper similar to an elementary school assignment. Since then, Ms. Piliani has continued to learn and master new weaving techniques to produce durable recycled products. In addition, Ms. Piliani wanted to make newspapers that had been shaped to look like real rattan at a glance. The innovation that Ms. Piliani found was that by providing a water-repellent coating, products from waste paper can become more durable.
    In the production process, Ms. Piliani does it manually with makeshift equipment, so each of her products is unique and takes quite a long time to make. The stages include talinting, paper coloring, weaving and finishing. Each stage is done for the material of several types of products. This is done to make the products as unique as possible.
After several experiments, a variety of interesting products emerged, with bags being the most sought-after. In response to the surge in demand, Piliani involved local residents and provided training to them. Craftonesia’s products include woven bags, home décor items (including coasters, mats, mirrors, and more), and accessories such as keychains and bracelets. Each product has a unique, handmade and customizable quality, giving it a distinctive character.