One day during May, Neenu Pradeep, a native of Alappuzha, snipped sheets of paper and shaped them into colourful flowers in Saudi Arabia. Her fingers moved deftly. By the time she completed the 1101st flower, her back ached. She wouldn't stop. The paper flowers would be spliced into a 574-foot-long garland. She could feel the weight of her accomplishment all over her body. Then the wait began and in the second week of September she knew she was a Guinness record holder.

She received an email that read “Record Breaker,” and right below was her name. “I wasn’t sure if I would win. I just made the submission and hoped for the best,” says Neenu. She won the title of “The longest line of paper flowers”.

What began as an activity to quell time has now brought her a cherished acclaim. When she came to Jubail, Saudi Arabia after marriage, 16 years ago, the city had little to offer her. An MCom graduate, opportunities in her field were sparse at the time. Once her husband, Samson Jacob, left for work, she spent most of her time alone with very few engagements. However, Neenu was unwilling to let time slip through the empty slots in her routine. So, she revived her old hobbies, nurtured her passion, and today, her efforts have been repaid with a Guinness title.

She had engaged in arts and crafts since childhood, but as academics and work began to occupy much of her time, her relationship with her passion grew thinner. After completing her BCom and MCom, Neenu had worked at Infopark before moving to Saudi Arabia after her marriage. 

Neenu started her journey against all odds. At the time, fancy craft tools and art equipment were not easily accessible and were often costly. But Neenu sought beauty in the mundane. She settled on using eggshells and pistachio shells for her work, repurposing household trash into decorative crafts. As her work progressed, she discovered new media. Even without the help of craft classes or YouTube tutorials, Neenu found a way to make the things that inspired her. Along the way, she started making flowers out of a variety of materials.

Her husband, Samson Jacob, and their two children, Aaron and Aangeleena, would watch as Neenu’s artwork and crafts filled their home. She started making these decorative pieces on demand and even put up her work at exhibitions and sales during events. Her work fascinated people, and she began taking classes, instructing people on art and craft techniques.

Around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown that followed, she was struck by an idea to take her passion a step further. By this time, she had gained much dexterity and speed in making flowers. In fact, her skills proved to be record-breaking, winning her the title of “Maximum flowers of different varieties made by an individual using crepe paper” in the Asia Book of Records. This paved the pathway to her Guinness title. Having gained confidence in her abilities, Neenu applied for a Guinness title in 2023. It was about two years later that they responded, following which she made the submission. Neenu had already made about 6000 flowers in practice.

“When you apply for a Guinness title, they ask you why you are doing it. This was simple for me. There are a lot of women, particularly in their middle ages, who have passion and interest in something but are often discouraged from going after it,” says Neenu.

The journey isn’t over for Neenu, who wishes to start her own school of art and craft to teach students various styles and techniques in the field. “We see parents sending their children to music classes and dance schools, but this rarely happens in the case of arts and crafts. There is a lot to learn in this area, and I want to make it accessible to kids,” says Neenu, who wishes to start a school in Kerala.