How Can Making Wooden Flowers Help With The Stress Of Self-Isolation?

Times have changed and people are required to change along with them. Because of the new pandemic that has stopped whole countries dead in their tracks, people are required to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid unnecessary outings. But people tend to get bored and anxious when forced to stay locked in for large periods of time. And so, distractions of any kind are required. One of the more creative ones is the making of weeding wooden flowers. These are wooden flowers usually made out of sola wood that don’t require any special skills, just a couple of skillful hands and a disposition to learn.

How Wooden Wedding Flowers Were Created?

Wooden wedding flowers are usually made out of sola wood, or Indian cork as it is also known. This wood is one of the lightest, most malleable woods on the market today. It originally comes from Indian where it can be found in marshy areas. The pulp or core of the trees from which this wood is produced comes out as a milky-white, spongy substance. After “harvesting” it, it is left to dry and then pressed into sheets. The sheets are then rolled up into different size rolls and shipped off to hobby stores or craftsman workshops around the world.

The tradition of using this material to make  wooden wedding flowers  comes from people, from the poorer parts of India using the wood, which is quite cheap and abundant, to shape flower garlands for the brides and grooms from Bengal or from other countries in the area. Those people were called Malakar, and this was usually their only means of making money, they also made various other religious and ceremonial items, such as sculptures of deities, but also decorative pieces for temples and private homes. Once the word got out that these people were making such beautiful things, and the world got a taste of what wooden wedding flowers looked like, the orders started pouring in. Also, people from all over the world started making their own wooden wedding flowers, and thus the trend of using alternate types of flowers began.

Making the wooden wedding flowers is an art form in itself. Firstly, the roll of sola wood has to be unrolled and left to dry up in the sun for a couple of days. When the material has become a little brittle, you can start, very carefully, rolling and shaping the flowers themselves. The shape and overall look of the flowers depends on how skillful you or the craftsman is. Another cool thing to know about these flowers is that, because they are made by hand and although they follow a specific pattern depending on the type of flower that is being shaped, no two flowers are the same. Just like snowflakes, each one has something particular and different about it which makes them even more beautiful all together.

You can do a lot of things with wooden wedding flowers. For instance, you can fully customize them to look and smell however you want. Dreaming of having certain flowers in your bouquet, but their out of season? Wooden flowers are always in season and always easy to find. But what about colors and smells? Sure, Mother Nature did a great job, but you can now have your dream bouquet in your favorite color and with your preferred scent. That’s because wooden wedding flowers can be dyed and scented however you want. And the best thing is that the scent never goes away. If you ever feel like the smell has faded, you can simply just spray the petals again and it will come right back.

How Can Making Wooden Flowers Help With Self-Isolation Related Anxiety?

Occupational therapy has been around for centuries. In ancient Greece medics would use baths, exercise and music in order to treat patients with mental illnesses. Later, the Romans used traveling and conversation as a form of dealing with mental health issues. Unfortunately, during the Middle Ages these methods were forgotten and it took a long time for them to gain popularity again.

In Europe, the 18th century brought forth a new dawn in medicine. Although some methods of treatment remained unchanged, in some hospitals mental patients were treated using new methods that included the practicing of leisure activities. This is when and where occupational therapy really got its start. But, although it was all the rage in Europe, it didn’t really catch on in the United States until the beginning of the 20th century. All throughout the 19th century these methods have been seen as mere experiments with no actual results and thusly dismissed.

One of the biggest promoters of the occupational therapy method was the arts and crafts movement that took place between 1860 and 1910. This was a movement dedicated to offering people and alternative to monotonous factory labor. The people engaged in this movement believed that people should try and discover and learn new things by actually doing them. Arts and crafts were also recommended for patients that required long hospital stays as a way of dealing with the boredom and a means of helping them cope with different afflictions they might have. The movement basically provided an outlet for both creative energies and the built up stress.

In times of self-isolation and quarantine people need distractions in order to better cope with the knowledge that they have to spend large periods of time indoors, away from friends and loved ones. Occupational therapy can be one way of dealing with the anxiety induced by these stressful times. Some might discover they have a hidden talent. But choosing the right occupation might be tricky. Some might try learning to play an instrument. Others might discover they have an interest for the fine arts and start painting or drawing. Some might want to try their hand at something that requires a certain degree of finesse and creativity such as the making of wooden flowers . Making wooden flowers can be seen as a form of occupational therapy. It requires a certain level of skill and dedication and also a desire to learn new things. Also, the results of such an occupation can be quite impressive.

Also, besides being a great way of spending time indoors, making wooden flowers can prove a great way of making some money on the side or even a great starting point for a new business. As the world will return to normal sooner or later, wedding, proms and other events will resume. All of them will need a cheaper alternative to natural flowers. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of your newly discovered talent and put it to good use by creating your very own wooden flowers business.