BUTTERWORTH: Joss papers, paper-made products such as mansions, vehicles and mobile gadgets are popular prayer items used during Cheng Meng prayers on tomb-sweeping day for the Chinese, which falls on 4 April this year.

Flowers are commonly used for prayer sessions too, where the Chinese honour their deceased ancestors by visiting the graves and columbaria with prayer items made of paper, and food.

Lim Chai Shien, 28, is creative to use joss papers and hell notes to make into bouquets of flowers, a two-in-one for prayers.

On top of that, she included paper chopsticks and papers printed with the Great Compassion Mantra into the bouquet.

Lim, who loves handicraft and art, never expected the creation to be a hit after she started selling them on Facebook.

Consumers, mostly middle-aged and above, have placed orders with her to buy the RM25 bouquets for prayers.

“It all started with a customer asking whether I made paper flowers for Cheng Meng,” said the business administration graduate from Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

Lim used to make bouquets of flowers using soap to sell during Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and other festivals.

It gave her inspiration to try making paper flowers using hell notes for prayers.

“To comply with the requirements for Cheng Meng prayers, I include paper bowls and paper chopsticks which signify the family has many young members, a sign of prosperity,” she said, adding that she observed the items used by her mother for similar prayers.

Lim skips using joss papers meant for God in prayers and the bouquets of flowers would be used to pay tribute to ancestors during Cheng Meng.

“The paper flowers are a hit as they serve a dual purpose.

“They can be used for prayers and then burned with other prayer items for the deceased,” she said.

As paper-made prayer items are normally thin, Lim needs to be extra gentle and careful when folding them.

She also takes into consideration colour coordination.

Lim, who sells Japanese food with her younger brother, can fold up to 100 bouquets in a day.