Turning wood into decorative, functional storage boxes

KUALA LUMPUR: For craft entrepreneur Ahmad Tarmizi Zaid, woodworking is about more than creating visually appealing pieces.

He wants his creations to serve a purpose, too.

He specialises in unconventional, creatively designed storage boxes handcrafted from locally sourced wood.

Shaped like quirky characters or animals, the wooden sculptures feature concealed drawers for storing small items such as keys.

Calling his collection Tampung Box (the Malay word 'tampung' means 'to accommodate' or 'to hold'), the 63-year-old artisan says he does not want his craft pieces to be purely decorative but to serve a function as well.

Ahmad Tarmizi was among 300 local craft entrepreneurs who participated in the Malaysia International Craft Fair 2026, which ran from Sept 24 to Oct 5 at the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex at Jalan Conlay here.

It was organised by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia).

Interest in woodworking

Ahmad Tarmizi, who stays in Bukit Beruntung, Selangor, said he has had an interest in woodworking since childhood.

"I have been passionate about two things — drawing and woodworking. I explored both interests from a young age," he told Bernama.

The father of three, who launched his Tampung Box collection in 2022, worked as a graphic designer at a private company after completing his studies in graphic design at a college here.

He ventured full-time into the handicraft business in 2014 after opting for early retirement under a voluntary separation scheme offered by his employer.

He never attended any formal woodworking workshop or seminar.

Instead, he developed his skills through self-learning, driven by his passion for the craft and the experience he had gained as a graphic designer.

"Working as a graphic designer required me to constantly come up with fresh ideas to convince clients to accept and purchase the concepts I proposed.

"I also had to find solutions to problems faced by clients, particularly those related to design.

"So, there were two things I always emphasised — problem-solving and generating new ideas.

"I believe new ideas should stem from our own creativity rather than simply following what clients want.

"These two aspects helped me develop my creative thinking and have been particularly useful in designing and producing my own products," said Ahmad Tarmizi, who inherited his woodworking talent from his late father, who was a carpenter.

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Competition

Building a handicraft business has not been an easy journey for Ahmad Tarmizi, who has had to exercise considerable patience and adaptability, including changing the types of products he made to keep customers interested.

Before focusing on Tampung Box, he made wooden products for sauna use, including steam bath cabins and steam bath sets.

"These were among the first products I marketed. Although similar products from China were already available, mine featured distinctive designs and were made using natural wood.

"To promote them, I prepared proposals and explained their unique features to potential customers. Sales were quite encouraging then," he said.

However, the business proved difficult to sustain due to competition from other sellers that offered lower prices.

His products were more expensive because of their larger size and his emphasis on the quality and safety of the materials used.

"Some sellers offered similar products at much lower prices, using materials that were not safe.

"This made it difficult for me to compete. The situation worsened when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, further affecting my business," he said.

New direction with Tampung Box

As his business continued to struggle, Ahmad Tarmizi began exploring new ideas and product concepts to keep it afloat.

After considering various alternatives, he came up with the idea of producing storage boxes under the brand Tampung Box.

"The word 'tampung' refers to holding or storing something. However, I realised that ordinary storage boxes might not attract much attention.

"So, I decided to shape them into characters or figures.

"This gives customers two reasons to choose the product… its practical function as a storage box and its visual appeal through the carved images, such as a cat, bird, shoe and other shapes," he said.

Explaining the production process, Ahmad Tarmizi said he first visualises and sketches the figure he wants to create, such as a cat or an owl, before using computer software to develop the design and establish the actual dimensions before printing it out as a template.

"The template is transferred onto the wood, which is then cut according to the desired shape.

The cut pieces are subsequently joined together and shaped using various woodworking tools, including a grinding machine, chisel and other suitable equipment," he said.

Items in his Tampung Box collection are priced between RM45 and RM1,900 each, depending on the size, creativity and aesthetic value.

Precision

Creating these character-inspired storage boxes requires a high degree of precision at every stage, from conceptualisation to the finishing touches.

Ahmad Tarmizi said shaping the figures and incorporating storage compartments into them present their own set of challenges.

"Each step has its own challenges. If any part of the process is carried out carelessly, the final product may not reflect the original vision or the image I had intended to bring to life," said Ahmad Tarmizi.

As for his choice of materials, he uses pulai, jelutong and balsa wood as their relatively soft texture makes them suitable for woodworking and carving into different figures.

"I mainly use pulai wood as it is readily available in my area (where I live). It is reasonably strong, has a soft-to-medium texture and is easy to shape according to the designs I have in mind.

"Another distinctive feature of pulai wood is its naturally attractive grain. Its texture and grain patterns make it easy to recognise that the products are made from solid wood rather than (manufactured wood products such as) medium-density fibreboard or plywood," he added.

Depending on the design's complexity, it takes him about two days to complete a small storage unit and over two weeks to make the bigger ones.

Export market

Ahmad Tarmizi, who promotes his Tampung Box collection on TikTok, hopes to see his handcrafted products gain a foothold in international markets.

"If we look at handicraft products from Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, they have already made their way into the Malaysian market.

"However, I feel that Malaysian handicrafts have yet to gain significant traction overseas.

"Even when they do reach international markets, it is perhaps only through platforms such as eBay. In my opinion, our products are still not sufficiently competitive," he said.

He added that feedback from visitors to the recent Malaysia International Craft Festival was encouraging, with many international visitors expressing interest in his products and making enquiries about the Tampung Box collection, including the possibility of introducing it to overseas markets.

Ahmad Tarmizi also plans to share his traditional woodworking knowledge with younger people through workshops, demonstrations and training sessions to ensure the skills are passed on to future generations. — BERNAMA