A straw can be creatively used to make a couple of decoratives, or a tissue to craft a few flowers but if someone can generate thousands of unique and diverse artifacts from what is otherwise discarded as waste, one is left in admiration over the frequency of ideas.

Sheetal Biyani is a self-taught artist who designs jewellery, murals and fibre paintings as well as creates an array of inventive pieces of art from throw away materials like bottles, cans and wood pieces.

"I have been into art and craft ever since my childhood. My mother Sarla Nadkarni is my biggest inspiration who herself has designed various art pieces. I started with smaller creations and moved on to murals and fibre pieces. Once you indulge in this creative art, ideas come from nowhere," adds the artist who is also penning a hobby book that will teach how to make 100 different items of the best of out-of-waste products.

Besides supplying the murals to various stores in the city, Biyani also teaches at Hormazdiar High School "Teaching is my passion and the way children perceive and participate in this creative exercise gives me immense gratification. I wish to teach this art to the poor children so that they are able to make a living out of it," adds the artist who has held various workshops in NGOs and schools.

"The other day I was sipping coke and instead of throwing away the straw I thought of making a lamp, which turned out to be an incredibly beautiful one. I use various materials like wax, broomsticks, cardboards, balloons probably anything which otherwise has its way to the dustbin, to make these objects. I can make 300 different kinds of flowers and any type of soft toy," adds Biyani who considers a pineapple out of the Parachute oil bottle and a tree using a coke bottle her most spontaneous creations.