Wool flowers are a popular choice for International Women's Day (March 8th).

In Hanoi, bouquets knitted from wool, priced between 40,000 and 100,000 VND, are a popular gift choice for International Women's Day on March 8th this year.

Phuc Anh, 20 years old, from Dong Da district, Hanoi, often buys fresh flowers to give to his grandmother, mother, and girlfriend on March 8th to express his affection. Each bouquet costs between 200,000 and 300,000 VND, not including gifts.

Seeing his mother complain that fresh flowers were expensive and didn't last long, the 25-year-old man switched to giving her flowers made of wool this year. Phuc Anh believes that these flowers are intricately crafted, beautiful, come in a variety of styles, are durable, and cost less than half the price of real flowers.

"If my family and girlfriend like it, I might choose this type of flower for special occasions. It also looks quite beautiful and eye-catching when displayed indoors," Phuc Anh said.

Some visitors came to view handmade knitted and crocheted bouquets at a stall on Yen Phu Street, Tay Ho District, on the evening of March 4th. Photo: Thanh Nga

Wanting beautiful and unique gifts for her loved ones but with a limited budget due to still being a student, 17-year-old Mai Chi from Hai Phong ordered three bouquets of woolen flowers, each costing 60,000 VND.

The female student said that with that amount of money, buying fresh flowers would only get you 2-3 roses, but ordering handcrafted flowers shaped like the zodiac animal would show the sincerity and sophistication of the giver.

As the holiday approaches, the demand for knitted and crocheted woolen flowers increases. A survey conducted by VnExpress on March 4th on many streets in Hanoi, such as Nguyen Dinh Thi, Trich Sai, Thanh Nien, Yen Phu (Tay Ho district) and the area around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem district), revealed many stalls selling carefully packaged woolen flowers and animal figures with fairy lights.

Depending on demand, vendors offer everything from single flower arrangements to large bouquets accompanied by teddy bears. Prices range from 30,000 VND to 150,000 VND per item.

Ms. Le Ha, 40 years old, who sells artificial and woolen flowers on Yen Phu Street, Tay Ho District, said that in the past week, the demand for handmade flower products has surged due to the approaching March 8th (International Women's Day). Her stall is open from 5 PM to 10 PM, selling an average of 70 bouquets per day. Her customers are mainly students, recent graduates, or families with young children who want to buy handmade flowers as gifts for their teachers. Bouquets priced under 100,000 VND are particularly popular.

Explaining why inexpensive woolen flowers are so popular, Ms. Ha said that firstly, their beautiful, unique, and elegant designs easily attract attention. Secondly, handcrafted items are increasingly favored. And finally, people are tightening their spending and want to give beautiful, meaningful gifts at an affordable price.

"In particular, instead of putting in a lot of effort to learn on your own, and then spending several days practicing to produce a product that might not even be satisfactory, beautiful, inexpensive bouquets of flowers are also chosen by many people as gifts," the seller said.

Woolen products shaped like animals or flowers are displayed for sale at a stall on Nguyen Dinh Thi Street, Tay Ho District, on the evening of March 4th. Photo: Thanh Nga.

Immediately after Valentine's Day on February 14th, the number of posts advertising services providing cheap woolen flowers exploded on social media. On average, dozens of advertisements for this service appeared every day.

Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc, 29 years old, owner of an online woolen flower shop in Hanoi, said that she receives an average of several dozen individual flower orders per day, not including wholesale orders from customers on e-commerce platforms. Besides students, Ms. Ngoc also receives large orders from companies ordering gifts for their female employees. According to the seller, these companies mainly order bouquets of one large woolen flower, along with wrapping paper and a gift bag, priced at 50,000 VND.

This year, due to high demand, Ms. Ngoc had to hire extra help. However, to avoid last-minute orders being rejected, the shop owner advises customers to place orders 2-3 days in advance to ensure sufficient time, especially for custom-designed woolen flower bouquets.

Ms. Ngoc carefully and beautifully arranged a bouquet of woolen flowers with animal figures before delivering it to the customer. Photo: Hanoi Woolen Flowers

Besides choosing handmade gifts for relatives, Ngoc Anh, 40, and her husband, who live in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi, also plan to buy five woolen flowers for their son to give to his teacher.

"These days, the ladies will surely receive many fresh flowers, so I wanted to choose a gift that is also flowers, but something that will last and look beautiful. After giving the flowers, they can put them in a vase, which would also look lovely," Ms. Anh said.

Thanh Nga - Quynh Nguyen

Source: https://vnexpress.net/hoa-len-hut-khach-dip-8-3-4718360.html