I'm a keen flower enthusiast, and while my gardening skills leave a lot to be desired I've loved pressing flowers and leaves since I was very young. The other day on Instagram I posted a snap of my flower press and some cards I made, and a few people asked me to share how I go about that. So here is that post.
First of all, you don't need any special materials or equipment to get started. I have a wooden flower press made by Ashford - I was lucky enough to find it in a second hand shop, but I don't think they produce them anymore. There are lots of others on the market, or you could make your own - you just need two strong pieces of wood and some screws. There's a simple tutorial here.
But actually I think flowers press just as well in a heavy book - the only thing is that you might forget which book is holding your precious plants, and discover them when you open the book much later. Which is not necessarily a bad thing - it's a lovely surprise to find summer flowers from the past, preserved and waiting for you.
Here is my method, which couldn't be simpler:
- First, gather your plants. It's best to press them when they're freshly picked, but not damp or wet, so I think sometime in the afternoon is a good gathering time. Some flowers work best if you deconstruct them - hydrangeas being an obvious example. I have tried pressing whole (small) rose buds but have much better results when I separate the petals and leaves.
You don't need to have a fabulous garden to press flowers - grasses, ferns and leaves are fun to experiment with and often have excellent graphic shapes and colours. Many wildflowers and weeds, gathered from the side of road or a park, are also beautiful when pressed. The golden rule is to ask permission before gathering plants from a public place or someone else's garden (obviously) and not to take too many cuttings - especially if the plants are rare ones.
Some flowers press better - retaining their colour and shape - than others. The results might surprise you, so experiment with things that grow in your community.
- Pick your plant specimens when they're dry and bring them inside. If there is a little dew on them, you can lay them on a paper towel in a warm place to dry out for a short time. Also check they are free from little bugs and insects.
- Place them, with a little space around each cutting, on a piece of paper (waxed or baking paper is best) and lay another piece of paper on top. Place these in your wooden press or between the pages of your book (note that some plants can stain the pages of your book if you're not placing them between thick paper.) I've found it works best when I group together plants of a similar thickness or type, i.e. a page with only ferns, and another with petals, etc).
If you're using a purpose-built press, you can add layers of cardboard (corrugated card works well) between the paper and plant layers. When you've stacked all your plants, screw down the top of your press tightly and place somewhere cool and dark for at least a couple of weeks, but a month is best. If your book you're using is not a super heavy one, stack more books on top and leave somewhere for at least two weeks.
Making cards
I usually use my pressed flowers, ferns and leaves to make notecards and tags. To do this, I arrange the plants on pieces of card (usually black, brown or white) in pleasing arrangements. You might find it helpful to use tweezers to adjust the petals and leaves just so, before covering.
I carefully cover the arrangements with clear book seal (cut a little bigger than needed to make the whole process easier). At first, you might capture some air bubbles but you can usually carefully peel the plastic back and try again, or smooth the bubbles out with your fingernail.
You can also use a glue stick to secure the plants onto the card before you cover them. They have a tendency to lift off the card and stick to the seal as you are lowering it on, which can be annoying!
Trim the excess seal from around the card, and punch a hole in the top if you are making a gift tag.
You can also use this method for envelopes, small artworks, postcards, placeholder cards, bookmarks, and anything else you can think of!
Other ideas
You can also microwave your flowers to dry them and I've heard of an ironing method too, but I've not tried either of these. There's more info about both those methods here.
Mod-podge, or another type of clear glue seal, can be brushed over your pressed flowers to decorate candles, glass votive holders or lanterns.
In this sweet Instagram video, florist Willow Crossley talks about pressing flowers and shares inspiration for what to do with them (including spelling out someone's name or initials - I love that idea!)
For some serious inspiration, this book is a bit amazing: The Art of Pressed Flowers, by Jenny Ashmore.
There are lots of other ways to use and display your pressed flowers, of course. I've included a picture of some decorative Easter eggs I made a few years back (read more here) and sun-catchers I've made (inspired by Extra Curricular magazine and Isabella from Hydrangea Ranger - read more here.) Next on my list is a botanical phone case for my battered mobile!
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I hope you'll give it a go and join me in my never ending love of gathering and preserving flowers. 🌿🌿🌿
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