Pressed flowers have a beauty and charm all their own. What a wonderful way to preserve their loveliness! Flowers from a bouquet, or a walk in the woodlands, flowers from your garden etc...can become beautiful keepsakes that will last for years.
Some flowers get better results than others, but don't be afraid to try different flowers and leaves. You will learn by trial and error. I have found that violas, pansies, ferns, miniature roses, and Queen Anne's Lace are excellent candidates to begin with.
Buttercups are abundant now, and keep their sunny yellow color when pressed. I am particularly fond of miniature roses. Until you become more experienced, stay away from flowers that are too bulky, as they will take too long to dry.
Pick your flowers early in the day after the morning dew has evaporated. Flowers picked in the heat of the sun will not fare well. Pick only what you can press at one time.
It is not necessary to have special equipment to press your flowers. You will need blotter paper which can be recycled newspaper, computer paper, tissue paper, or whatever you have on hand. You will also need a makeshift press, or a flower press designed for this purpose. You can use old encyclopedias, phone books or any large books will work. I am always delighted to open a large book, and have a forgotten pressed flower to greet me! One other piece of equipment comes in handy is a tweezer to use when handling your very delicate flowers.
To get started, first lay down a piece of blotter paper and arrange the flowers, and/or leaves on the sheet so that they are aligned to your satisfaction. Do not allow leaves or petals to touch each other, and make sure they are not moist. If they are, you can blot them gently with a tissue. Otherwise the moisture can cause mildew and ruin the specimens. Next place another piece of blotter paper on top and enclose between the pages of the book.
Allow flowers to remain this way undisturbed for about two weeks. Carefully, remove the flowers/leaves and put into a box with fresh blotter paper, and keep on a flat service in a dry place until you are ready to use them. Your beautiful flowers can be stored this way for a long time.
You'll will be amazed at how fast a pressed flower collection can grow. Now, you can use them in many ways. With a simple application of Elmer's glue, they can be applied to writing paper to adorn a special letter. Perfect specimens of pressed flowers can be framed on a background of velvet. They can be applied to candles, or simple sachets. You can also purchase picture mats and embellish them with your pressed flowers for that special photo/picture. The pressed flowers can be decopauged onto furniture. They become the artist's palette of your own imagination for many projects.
I encourage you to find out more about pressing flowers. I would recommend the book; "The Book of Pressed Flowers" by Penny Black, whose work inspired me. She has created gorgeous intricate designs with her flowers.
We want to thank Elaine for sharing her knowledge with us and sparking our imaginations when admiring a beautiful flower.
Happy Flower Pressing!
