Product/ Outcome-method of creation-evidence of creation-calculation of carbon footprint |
Product Screenshots
Component 1
EASTERN TREASURE: Keshapasharachana or Hair Accessory
Adorning the hair lavishly with bejeweled ornaments and flowers has been a part of the Eastern culture and tradition since centuries. In India, hair adornment was one of the “Shola Shringar” or 16 adornments that enhanced a girl’s beauty, and gave her a Goddess like aura. This look- alike of a bejeweled hair accessory is an Eastern Treasure created by using plant material like mustard seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sago seeds. The floral art exhibits a lady’s hair bun (created with black wire) adorned by the Keshapasharachana. Thus, as stated in the goal, it is “a piece of aesthetic and environment friendly floral art, created by using plant material, to represent Eastern treasures”. Furthermore, the calculations below show that the carbon footprint of this art is much lesser than if cut flowers were used instead.
Adorning the hair lavishly with bejeweled ornaments and flowers has been a part of the Eastern culture and tradition since centuries. In India, hair adornment was one of the “Shola Shringar” or 16 adornments that enhanced a girl’s beauty, and gave her a Goddess like aura. This look- alike of a bejeweled hair accessory is an Eastern Treasure created by using plant material like mustard seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sago seeds. The floral art exhibits a lady’s hair bun (created with black wire) adorned by the Keshapasharachana. Thus, as stated in the goal, it is “a piece of aesthetic and environment friendly floral art, created by using plant material, to represent Eastern treasures”. Furthermore, the calculations below show that the carbon footprint of this art is much lesser than if cut flowers were used instead.
Component 2
EASTERN TREASURE: Spices of the East
Component 2 has been created with spices, to resemble a landscape. The raw materials used for creation are spices like cinnamon stick (for the fence); cardamom (as dates on the palm tree); fennel and cloves (for the pathway); black pepper (for the short palm tree); cumin seeds (on the house); and bay leaves and mace (for the small cacti plant). These spices are symbolic of Eastern treasures as the spice trade and its routes connecting ancient civilizations of the East have a rich history, and in the ancient days, the spice trade was so lucrative that spices were known as Eastern treasures. Even today, these spices, like turmeric, cardamom, clove, bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, etc. are considered as Eastern treasures due to their medicinal value, which is only studied and practiced in ancient Eastern medicinal practices like Ayurveda. Thus, as stated in the goal, it is “a piece of aesthetic and environment friendly floral art, created by using plant material, to represent Eastern treasures”. Furthermore, the calculations below show that the carbon footprint of this art is much lesser than if cut flowers were used instead.
Component 2 has been created with spices, to resemble a landscape. The raw materials used for creation are spices like cinnamon stick (for the fence); cardamom (as dates on the palm tree); fennel and cloves (for the pathway); black pepper (for the short palm tree); cumin seeds (on the house); and bay leaves and mace (for the small cacti plant). These spices are symbolic of Eastern treasures as the spice trade and its routes connecting ancient civilizations of the East have a rich history, and in the ancient days, the spice trade was so lucrative that spices were known as Eastern treasures. Even today, these spices, like turmeric, cardamom, clove, bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, etc. are considered as Eastern treasures due to their medicinal value, which is only studied and practiced in ancient Eastern medicinal practices like Ayurveda. Thus, as stated in the goal, it is “a piece of aesthetic and environment friendly floral art, created by using plant material, to represent Eastern treasures”. Furthermore, the calculations below show that the carbon footprint of this art is much lesser than if cut flowers were used instead.
Component 3
EASTERN TREASURE: Spices of the East
Component 3 has been created with turmeric, which is symbolic of Eastern treasures: Turmeric is an ancient spice known as the "golden spice". South Asian cultures have been using turmeric for thousands of years, for medicinal and cultural purposes. Ancient Vedic societies called it the 'herb of the sun' due to its yellow-orange rhizome. This spice is considered as an Ayurvedic treasure with at least 6000 years of documented use. Thus, as stated in the goal, it is “a piece of aesthetic and environment friendly floral art, created by using plant material, to represent Eastern treasures”. Furthermore, the calculations below show that the carbon footprint of this art is much lesser than if cut flowers were used instead.
Component 3 has been created with turmeric, which is symbolic of Eastern treasures: Turmeric is an ancient spice known as the "golden spice". South Asian cultures have been using turmeric for thousands of years, for medicinal and cultural purposes. Ancient Vedic societies called it the 'herb of the sun' due to its yellow-orange rhizome. This spice is considered as an Ayurvedic treasure with at least 6000 years of documented use. Thus, as stated in the goal, it is “a piece of aesthetic and environment friendly floral art, created by using plant material, to represent Eastern treasures”. Furthermore, the calculations below show that the carbon footprint of this art is much lesser than if cut flowers were used instead.
All Components
Plan of Creation and Evidence for Component 1 of my floral Art
Materials/ Tools
Wooden box |
Pumpkin Seeds |
Gold spray paint |
Mustard seeds |
Organic nail polish of different colors |
Sago seeds |
Wooden branch of willow tree |
Chart paper |
Black wire |
Glue gun |
Pencil/ pen |
Glue |
Paint brush |
Scissors |
Measuring tape |
Method/ Procedure
Take the wooden box and paint it gold with spray paint |
Attach the willow tree branch diagonally to give it a two-dimensional look |
Replicate a hair bun with black wire by making loops |
Attach loop to the center of the branch to make it look like a lady’s hair bun |
Create the ornaments to go on the bun |
Accurately draw the design on chart paper |
Cut out the design with scissors |
Paint the mustard seeds, sago seeds, and pumpkin seeds and color them by painting them with nail polish |
Stick the seeds on the design to make it look like semi-precious jewelry which Indian women adorn on their hair |
Stick this on hair bun |
Make few more ornaments using same process |
Stick ornaments on branch |
Plan of Creation and Evidence for Component 2 of my floral art
Materials/ Tools
Cinnamon stick |
Beetle nuts |
Bay leaves |
Cardamom |
Cloves |
Toothpicks |
Mace |
Black pepper |
Cumin seeds |
Fennel |
Scissors |
Glue |
Chart Paper |
Cardboard |
Method/ Procedure
For the big palm tree: Take 15 bay leaves |
Cut in a zig zag manner to replicate leaves |
Make groups of cardamoms on toothpicks |
Attach all leaves on a cinnamon stick |
Add a group of cardamoms on the sticks to replicate dates |
For the short palm tree: Cut bay leaves in a zig zag manner |
Attach toothpicks on the leaves |
Glue a bunch of black pepper on toothpicks |
Attach the cut leaves and toothpicks onto the cinnamon stick |
For the small cacti plant: Cut bay leaves in a zig zag manner |
Take a slice of beetle nut |
Attach the cut leaves onto the beetle nut |
Stick mace on the beetle nut |
For the house: Cut chart paper and fold it in a rectangular manner for the base of the house |
Stick some cumin seeds on the base of the house |
On the top of the house give a shape of the roof with cardboard |
Cut bay leaves in a zig zag manner to resemble hay |
Glue the cut leaves onto the roof of the house made with carboard in 2 layers |
Glue a stick of cinnamon on the top of the roof horizontally to replicate a brick |
Make birds with cardamom to replicate the body and black pepper to replicate the face and put it on top of the roof. |
For the fence: Cut strips of cinnamon sticks in both small and big pieces and attach it to each other to replicate a fence. Also use cloves to replicate a pathway. |
Evidence of making Component 2 of my floral art
Plan of Creation and Evidence for Component 3 of my floral art
Materials/ Tools
Log of wood |
Dried turmeric rhizomes |
Foam |
Bay leaves |
Mace |
Pinking shears |
Glue |
Sharp knife |
Method/ Procedure
Using a sharp knife cut the wet foam into squares |
Rub or cut the squares into spheres of 3 different sizes that are 3, 4 and 5 cm at the base |
Choose mature bay leaves and dry them between water absorbent paper (If dried in this way it will retain its color) |
Cut the leaves in half and round off each with pinking shears |
Cut the top off with an angle so it will enter the foam easily |
Dip the tip of each stem in glue |
Insert about 3 mm into the foam |
Overlap each placement slightly |
Make whirls of leaves working from the base upwards in 3 layers |
Take the mace and dip the end of each piece in glue and adhere to the sphere in the center of the flower |
Paste dried turmeric rhizomes for the base on the log |
Display and stick the completed flowers on the log covered with dried turmeric |
Evidence of making Component 3 of my floral art
Calculation of carbon footprint of my floral art, and comparison with carbon footprint of fresh cut flowers
Component 1 (hair accessory)
Material |
Quantity used in floral art (y) |
Carbon footprint for 1 kg of material (z) |
Carbon footprint for quantity used (y x z) |
Pumpkin seeds |
5 grams= 0.005 kgs. |
0.14 kgs. |
0.0007 kgs. |
Sago |
5 grams= 0.005 kgs. |
0.1 kg. |
0.0005 kgs. |
Mustard seeds |
2 grams= 0.002 kgs. |
2.9 kgs. |
0.0058 kgs. |
Wooden box |
500 grams= 0.5 kgs. |
0.5 kgs. |
0.25 kgs. |
Copper wire |
0.14 kgs. |
0.2 kgs. |
0.028 kgs. |
Total carbon footprint for Component 1 = 0.285 kgs.
Component 2 (landscape)
Material |
Quantity used in floral art (y) |
Carbon footprint for 1 kg of material (z) |
Carbon footprint for quantity used (y x z) |
Coriander seeds |
20 grams = 0.02 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.032 kgs. |
Fennel seeds |
15 grams = 0.015 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.024 kgs. |
Clove |
10 grams= 0.01 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.016 kgs. |
Cumin seeds |
15 grams = 0.015 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.024 kgs. |
Cinnamon stick |
40 grams= 0.04 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.064 kgs. |
Whole black pepper |
25 grams = 0.025 kgs. |
2.5 kgs. |
0.06 kgs. |
Cardamom |
12 grams= 0.012 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.01 kgs |
Bay leaves |
10 grams= 0.01 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.02 kgs. |
Black lentils |
40 grams= 0.04 kgs. |
0.9 kgs. |
0.04 kgs. |
Betel nuts |
10 grams= 0.01 kgs. |
2.3 kgs. |
0.02 kgs. |
Total carbon footprint for Component 2 = 0.3 kgs.
Component 3 (turmeric floral art)
Material |
Quantity used in floral art (y) |
Carbon footprint for 1 kg of material (z) |
Carbon footprint for quantity used (y x z) |
Turmeric |
1 kilogram |
0.4 kgs. |
0.4 kgs. |
Bay leaves |
10 grams= 0.01 kgs. |
1.6 kgs. |
0.02 kgs. |
Log of wood |
1 kilogram |
0.5 kgs. |
0.5 kgs. |
Foam |
0.9 kgs. |
4.8 kgs. |
4.3 |
Total carbon footprint for Component 3 = 5.2 kgs.
A minimum of two dozen flowers would be used for each of the above components of floral art weighing roughly 240 gm= 0.2 kgs. for each component. Carbon footprint of 1 kg. flowers is 120 kgs. Thus, the carbon footprint of two dozen flowers is 24 kgs. which is 8000% more than Component 1; 7900% more than Component 2; and 361% more than Component 3. This shows that by using natural plant material instead of fresh cut flowers, the carbon footprint of floral art can be reduced drastically.