Priyancka Jaiin has built a career in technology, but one of the skills closest to her heart came from her childhood. Long before she became a software engineer, she was learning the art of mehndi from her nani and dadi. Today, that childhood interest has become a serious creative side hustle. While working as a software engineer in the US, Jaiin also takes mehndi bookings and charges around $100 an hour, showing how a skill developed years ago can eventually become an additional source of income. For Jaiin, however, the journey is about more than money. It is also about keeping alive an art form that has been part of her life since she was five.
A childhood skill that stayed with her
Jaiin’s connection with mehndi began when she was a young girl. She learnt the basics from her nani and dadi, practising with a wooden stick at a time when ready-made mehndi cones were not as easily available. What started as something she enjoyed doing gradually became a skill she carried with her through different stages of life. Even after entering the technology industry and building a career as a software engineer, she continued making time for mehndi. Instead of leaving the childhood hobby behind, she eventually found a way to combine it with her professional life.Today, she accepts mehndi appointments alongside her full-time technology job. Her work includes wedding and bridal mehndi, as well as more personalised designs for clients. According to the details shared about her work, she charges around $100 per hour. For larger bridal or wedding bookings, she can earn close to ₹1 lakh for around 10 hours of work, depending on the booking. The figures may make the side hustle sound primarily financial, but Jaiin’s work has a much more personal side.
From brides to cancer patients, her art has many stories
Over the years, Jaiin has used her mehndi skills for a variety of occasions. Bridal and wedding bookings form an important part of her work, but her designs have also extended beyond traditional celebrations. She has created mehndi designs for pregnancy bellies, turning the art into a way for expectant mothers to celebrate an important stage of their lives. She has also created henna crowns for cancer patients experiencing hair loss. For people going through an emotionally difficult period, the designs can offer a creative and personal way to express themselves. Her work has also moved beyond individual appointments. Jaiin teaches mehndi through her YouTube channel, allowing her knowledge to reach people who may not be able to attend an in-person session. That shift from practising a hobby to teaching others reflects how seriously she has developed the skill.
Her advice: Practice before you turn passion into income
Jaiin’s journey also offers a practical lesson for people who want to turn their hobbies into side incomes. Her advice is simple: “Practice, practice, practice.” Rather than expecting a hobby to immediately become profitable, she encourages people to develop their skills first. Starting small, building a portfolio, treating the work professionally and allowing customers to discover its value can gradually turn a personal interest into a business opportunity. Her story also highlights an increasingly common approach to work. A person’s primary profession does not necessarily have to define every skill they develop or every way they earn. For Jaiin, software engineering provides her a professional career, while mehndi gives her a creative outlet that has remained connected to her childhood. What began with a little girl learning designs from her grandmothers has now grown into an income-generating skill that can earn around $100 an hour. Her journey is a reminder that some hobbies are worth holding on to. A skill learned simply for joy in childhood may, years later, become a source of income, creativity and purpose.
