Floral decoration - stringing jasmine

After the posts on garland making with jasmine and stringing or roses, I am back with another one on jasmine.  What I had written earlier  on jasmine is a very easy and simple method of making jasmine garland using a needle and thread.  In fact what we get is a densely set floral garland.  Stringing of roses is difficult due the fact that the petals are very delicate and tend to fall when we try to string roses.  The roses should be fresh and used within a few hours.  Hence it is better to string roses when they are fresh. Of course for stringing of jasmine, roses and jasmine garland videos are there in Rangolisansdots my video Channel.  If the explanation and images shared here are not sufficient, the videos may help.

Coming to jasmine, stringing them is difficult because the stalk is thin and small ( initially it is better to learn stringing leaves or flowers with long stalk ). The images show the steps in a series of photos taken while stringing jasmine.

First place two flowers opposite to each other ( 180 degrees apart ) so that the stalks overlap.   Let the string go around the stalks of the flowers.  The next  make a knot using the index finger and middle finger.  First the string is rolled over the index finger and then the middle finger.  The loop formed is inserted on the flower at the top so that it gets seated on the overlapping stalks.  The string is pulled to form a knot.  These steps are repeated again and again to form a garland.  This is the traditional method as compared to the method using needle and thread.

It is easier to string the jasmine flowers when they are buds.  Once they bloom it is slightly difficult as the petals interfere with stringing process.  Usually, the jasmine buds are strung and the garland is stored in a piece of clean cloth made slightly wet with water so that the flowers bloom the next day.  Too wet a cloth will result in the flowers getting damaged.  There is a variety of jasmine called mullai in Tamil for which the stringing process is also the same except the cloth is made very wet for the flowers to bloom. Nature has its own way for different flowers! Jasmine is white but is one of the most fragrant flowers and hence used for festivals. I have four jasmine plants that bloom every day. I get a few flowers and I offer them during regular prayer. In Tamil Nadu Madurai is famous for jasmine and Madurai malli as it is called is quite popular.

To have a recap - the first image shows to flowers placed one above the other with stalks over lapping and with the string at the bottom


The next image shows the flowers being held with the left thumb, with the string going around the stalks so as to hold them.

The third image shows the beginning of the formation of the knot using the index finger and middle finger and rolling them over the string first along the string then with the middle finger supporting the string roll the wrist around the string to get the position shown in the fourth image. This is the most difficult part in this process as it involves rotating the fingers and wrist in different planes.


The fifth image shows the formation of the ring which is inserted on the top of the flower as shown in the sixth image so that the the ring is over the overlapping stalks.


The final image shows the string being pulled so that a knot forms around the overlapping portion of the stalks. We can see flower vendors doing this quite fast and mechanically concentrating on some thing else while stringing flowers.  That is practice and experience for us !