“Time is the most important cost of crafts or handicrafts.” A sharp sentence that makes you stop to think. According to the words of one of the founders of the brand Papacraft (Papa Craft), today the team of TCDC Connect has the opportunity to interview Khun Prasit. Tangmahasathitkul (Pee Chang) and Tonfon Tangmahasathitkul (Khwan), two fathers and sons who founded the Papacraft brand, P’Chang and Kwan, told the TCDC CONNECT team about the beginning of the brand. In fact, Papacraft started with Chang 26 years ago.
When I was in Chiang Mai, I started making handmade notebooks whose covers were designed from scrap leather. and then cover the edge of the cover with crochet before being consigned to sell at the Sabun Nga store. At that time, I was selling for fun, not considering the value at all. In spite of each book being considered to have only one book in the world, I started making leather bags for fun, some used by myself, some sold, but as an artist rather than a merchant. So I’m not serious about it. plus the need to move from Chiang Mai to Uttaradit To make a living as a freelance translator until Nong Kwan (his son) came to take the examination at the Industrial Arts Department. King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology, Ladkrabang Then there is the idea that I want to make things for sale. From this point on, Papacraft has returned once more.
(Article published at procurement.tcdc.or.th on August 12, 2018)
Table of contents
- Hippie is Papacraft’s working spirit.
- Customers are not customers but always our friends.
- Father from the world of craft vs. son from the world of industrial art
- Enjoyable leather goods Free time turned into a career.
- More important than sales is getting business partners.
- can be contacted at
Hippie is Papacraft’s working spirit.
Actually, I have no concept of working on my own at all. But there is a self hidden in every workpiece that does more. The first phase starts with what you like and what you want to do. Further development to be transformed into any piece of work through the use of imagination without a design convention until now. Starting to have a booth at various events. We met people who came to support our work. It lets us know in which direction the brand should go to attract more customers. However, the brand has not forgotten the definition of Papacraft’s work, which emphasizes love, passion, and spirit that are passed on to every piece. By guaranteeing that every work of Papacraft will not come out bad, Absolutely not neat
Customers are not customers but always our friends.
Papacraft will use “the heart” to connect with the brand’s fans. with works or products of the brand as a medium Brands will try to avoid using the word “customer” because it creates too many gaps. The brand’s target audience is people who love and are interested in crafts. They have good purchasing power, aged between 30 and 40 years old. There are some groups of teenagers. Most of them are teenagers who are interested in and see the value of craft. There are channels to reach target groups both online and offline. For online channels, it will be communicated through the brand’s Facebook page and sold via the Pinkoi website.
Father from the world of craft vs. son from the world of industrial art
with completely different conceptual frameworks Sometimes there are problems at work. For example, the son did not really understand the work that was done. Causing communication to reach the target group through sales channels is not the point, but I have always tried to tune in to find a solution. Now, P’Chang will take on the main responsibility of designing and producing leather jewelry pieces. Nong Kwan will mainly help with online sales channels and marketing. because it relies on knowledge and experience from what I have learned. Obstacles to working now It’s probably a matter of time and conditions. There are many things that I want to do, but some people are stuck managing people and work.
Enjoyable leather goods Free time turned into a career.
After decades of passion and interest in leather work, Papacraft is now beginning to see a clearer picture. And the brand is following the image that is seen gradually. more and more clearly by emphasizing the texture of the leather, which is a special technique, to be a clear identity in the brand’s products in the future. The brand has plans in the future to expand its production line from jewelry emphasizing natural leather crafted by a father to leather accessories emphasizing function by a son.
More important than sales is getting business partners.
Papacraft sees business networking as very important. Getting to know people in the same field or different fields who have exchanged knowledge and experiences with each other will inevitably lead to mutual benefits in the future.
Message from Craftman to Craftboy
Really, I never thought of myself as a designer at all, just a leathercrafter and a lettercrafter. What I would like to say to new designers is that everything starts with oneself. Let’s start with the inside. Because each person has their own character, please use that character to express yourself in order to pass it on to someone with a clear identity. Don’t lose yourself. Don’t follow anyone.
The Papacraft brand is one of the brands that have been selected to exhibit their works on the 16th Debut Wall. The “DEBUT by TCDC CONNECT” activity is an exhibition area with information about entrepreneurs, designers, manufacturers, and experts in the field. various Selected by TCDC for selected brands or designers to promote their businesses for free. and to those who are interested in hiring or looking for a designer to see the real work, get to know each other, and have real employment. What brands or designers will gain from participating in DEBUT by TCDC CONNECT are
- work publicity area, lobby area, TCDC for 3 months
- A stage to share their ideas and work. Meet people who are interested in doing business with a group of buyers and many interested parties.
- Publish results in event brochures.
can be contacted at
- Location : No. 268 Talat Kao Road, Suan Dok Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lampang Province 52100 (map)
- Business hours : Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed only on Wednesdays) | Saturday and Sunday are open until 8:00 p.m.
- Tel : 06 5507 3699 และ 08 4049 3246
- Facebook : Papacraft
- Instagram : papacraftfamily
- LINE ID : @papacraft