Epoxy resin art became popular in the early 20th century, around 1930s, for its industrial use and later for its artistic value. Resin art has been around for centuries. Also known as amber, it is produced by trees and fossilises to create a hard, transparent slab. They were largely used as decorative ornaments or pieces of jewellery.

Resin art is unique and enchanting with clarity, luminosity, brilliance and depth. Dals, rice, seeds, dried flowers, colourful riots of paints create amazing and interesting results with resin. Each piece of art is covered with flowers, sweets, chocolates and cupcakes for the festive rakhi to be tied on Raksha Bandhan.

1. Dining Table Platters

This long low horizontal design is made with three rice-pressed resin platters. The middle plate is elevated to create interest and focus in this elongated structure. The entire design is placed on a long yellow festive table runner. Each round rice-compressed resin-pressed plate has red mouli (thread) on the edge and painted golden for festivity. A thick beautiful spread of yellow baby chrysanthemums, button chrysanthemums, dressina leaves and dual colour saplera leaves enclose this entire design. This arrangement is further enhanced by adding golden gota patti flowers, diyas, tiny platters of sweets etc. A little imagination and choice of other flowers gives an opportunity to recreate this beautiful spread of platters.

2. Enchanting resin stand

The horizontal floral design pressed resin stand is taken for this arrangement. Soft peach roses, buds, kalanchoe leaves and tiny baby breaths are largely used for the decoration. A soft hue of roses has a soothing effect, creates colour contrast to the resin plates. Kalanchoe thick-leaved succulents are often seen in florist shops and easily available. A little cluster of charming and innocent-looking gypsophila, or baby breath, is sprinkled all over the design. Cupcakes, chocolates and a couple of rakhis completes this design and can be gifted to your brothers with delightful other accessories.

3. Festive galore

This exotic design has a two-layer base fixed at different levels. The outstanding pristine white marbled base creates a captivating background for all the rakhis and colourful lumbas kept on them. Each rakhi and lumba is also created with resin art. The edges are traditionally-cut design. A small bunch of areca palm, a common indoor plant, are tied with mouli thread (thick red thread used during pujas) and fixed in the oasis below the elevated platter, spreading out creating beautiful green lines. The tropical evergreen ixora flowers and leaves are fixed on the top platter. Bamboo strip woven flowers add an interesting contrasting dry texture to the delicate ixora red flowers. Some round gota patti flowers are added for festivity.

4. Little gifts of rice plates

Round coaster-sized plates with pressed rice granules in resin becomes the base for these small arrangements. It is half covered in yellow baby chrysanthemum and green button flowers. Two small ring gota patti bases are attached to it with tiny capsules of rice and tika powder. A symbolic tiny coconut tied with a colourful rakhi is fixed on the other ring. If placed in front of the deity it can be replaced with diyas for prayers or aarti. These tiny platters can be placed in the thali decorated with rakhis and sweets.

5. Fruits and flowers platter

Set transparent hollow cylindrical tubes filled with mauve daisy and peach roses. One is kept vertical and the other horizontal. A transparent plate is fixed over them. It allows the floral designs to be appreciated and enjoyed below the plate. On it fruits are placed with a few flowers and leaves in between to create harmony above and below the tray. The fruits used in this design are oranges, peaches, plums, grapes and pomegranates. It’s an exotic dining table centrepiece and a captivating gift for any occasion.

6. Captivating enclosed lotus platter

A transparent four-inch tall box is taken and filled with pink and white lotus buds. Lotus is a symbol of purity, strength, resilience and rebirth and offered at the feet of God with love and affection. A few green leaves and white gypsophila are added for variation. This box comes in the tray on which chocolates, rakhis, lumbas, tika powder, rice and mouli are arranged. Different kinds of flowers in larger boxes can become the tray to carry mithai to the brother’s home.

7. Light it up

This fascinating design is created by the addition of yellow monochromatic daisy flowers and hanging fern leaves to the elongated chandeliers suspended from a high ceiling over a dining table or in a banquet room. Daisy flowers internationally symbolise innocence and purity and the yellow colour lifts spirits. The long stems of these flowers are glue-taped to gaps in the light fixture and a few long lush green leaves are suspended 10-12 inches from it. Ferns remove harmful air pollutants from the environment and are commonly cultivated in Indian conditions. This arrangement can be created during any festival or celebration.

Sunita Kanoria, trained at Pushpa Bitan, is a judge for national-level flower-arrangement competitions, and currently utilises her time and talent as a floral-decor demonstrator at various forums