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What Are Sola Flowers and What Are They Used For?

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Abby Clare

Sola wood has been around for centuries and has been used by craftsmen in India since they discovered how to produce it. It has come in very handy when they needed cheap and plentiful materials in order to create various statues and decorations, and even some more practical items such as hats. Sola flowers are made out of the same wood, hence the name, and have become almost a household name in certain parts of the world. Because they are so easy to produce, although some models may take some time to master, they have been used by decorators, wedding planners and practically anybody that was looking for a cheap and elegant alternative to natural flowers.

Where Does Sola Wood Come from And What Is It Used For?

The  sola wood , or shola how it is known locally, comes from India. The wood itself is extracted from the stem of the Aeschynomene aspera, which is a plant in the Fabaceae plant family. The shrub doesn’t grow higher than 2 meters and it isn’t cultivated but rather found in the wild. Its natural habitat is marshy areas such as those found in E. Asia - China, Japan, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, through Malaysia to the Philippines. It has a lot of uses in crafts where it is used for decorations and other objects around the house or even for certain events.

The core of the stem of the plant presents itself as milky-white when harvested. After the skin of the plant is removed, the core is laid to dry and is then cut up into sheets. It is then rolled up and used in various shops. According to tropical.theferns.info, the pith from the stems is very light. The sola wood thusly obtained weighs around 110 - 190 kilos per cubic meter and is one of the lightest known woods. It is usually used as a cork substitute in various applications and in India it is used to make sun helmets, a fashion trend that was adopted by the British during the colonial period. It is also used to make a range of other items, such as ceremonial floats on water, artificial flowers and other decorations which are offered to the Gods and Goddesses during festivals.

One of the main things the flowers made out of this type of wood is used for is making lavish headpieces for the wedding ceremonies of Bengali brides and grooms. The headpieces are among the most beautiful in the world and are covered in flowers which are individually hand carved by traditional craftsmen called Malakars. This use of sola wood flowers spread across the world and now people from almost all continents use artificial flowers in floral arrangements for their weddings. This trend took off even more when people started learning how to make their own flowers and started opening up shops that offered learning kits, workshops or even ready to use products.

Sola wood can now be found in most hobby shops around the world as it is a cheap, plentiful resource that replenishes itself quite fast. Most craftsmen use dedicated suppliers that import the wood straight from the source, thus gaining access to a higher quality grade of material. The biggest users of the wood are still Indian craftsmen, which create numerous statues of various deities and other decorative items that are used in various rituals or shipped to retail stores worldwide. Some shops even work all year round only to be able to keep up with the demands of the customers from places like Europe or North America.

What Are Sola Flowers Used For?



 Sola flowers , as the name suggests, are created out of sola wood. They are an inexpensive and very creative alternative to natural flowers. They can be used in many areas such as decorations. From floral garlands to arches, almost anything can be beautified by using sola flowers. They are very light, which means that they don’t add a lot of weight to any support they are attached to. Also, they are very easy to customize, meaning that every flower used can have a different pattern or color or even smell. One of the most frequent uses of sola flowers is in arts and crafts. The skills necessary to create such flowers are easy to learn, with the internet providing dozens of video tutorials and step by step instructional materials for almost any kind of flower imaginable. Also, the materials and supplies are easy to find and are not expensive. Anybody with the time and patience necessary can pick up this hobby and start making their own sola flowers which can then be used in any way they see fit.

Another big use for sola flowers is the wedding industry. Maybe the biggest users of sola flowers annually, brides have discovered that using these flowers as substitutes for real ones is a very classy move. From bouquets and boutonnieres to centerpieces and decorations, wooden flowers have made their mark on weddings and are here to stay. They are much cheaper to use than real flowers, but give a certain elegance and cozyness to the entire event. Flowers made out of wood have a distinct feel of gentleness to them while generating a certain warm feeling in the room.

One of the more traditional uses for sola flowers is in religious ceremonies. They are used as offerings to various deities and can be found in all shapes and sizes. Because the material used in making them is very malleable, you can literally find them in almost any shape and size you want. Most Indian craftsmen take orders from around the world for idols with decorative flower around them or special garlands that can be put around statues at special occasions such as festivals. The fact that they are light makes the shipping and handling of the creations very easy although some of the bigger pieces can weigh up to several pounds. 

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