Pressing flowers, leaves and herbs to preserve their beauty for keepsakes and crafts is an ancient tradition across almost every culture. No matter the season, there is always a piece of nature worth treasuring and preserving.
We have used the Flower Press from our Creative Kids Earth Craft Kit, but at a pinch, you could use an old hard covered book with a brick on top.
You will need:
Flower Press
Cut flowers
Baking paper
Absorbent paper such as paper towel or paper napkins. Avoid anything with a deep embossed pattern.
A Pair of scissors for trimming
Patience
Step 1.
Go outside and marvel at nature. Look really closely for interesting leaves and flowers. The flatter the natural shape of the flower, the better.
Step 2.
Prepare the Flowers by picking off any unnecessary leaves. For dense flowers, you might like to consider picking off the petals and pressing those individually.
Step 3.
Open your flower press to your first cardboard sheet, then layer a piece of baking paper, absorbent paper and a layer of flowers. After you are happy with the arrangement of your flowers, cover them with absorbent paper, baking paper and the next layer of cardboard.
Each level of your flower press should be layered as:
Cardboard
Baking Paper
Absorbent Paper
Flowers
Absorbent Paper
Baking Paper
Cardboard
(This is perhaps best understood via the video link)
Step 4: Replace the top of the flower press and tighten securing hardware. It is important to gradually make your way around the flowerpress so that the press tightens evenly and without squeezing the flowers out of position.
Step 5: After about 2 weeks, you might like to check on your flowers and replace the absorbent towel. Flowers such as viola or pansies might be ready at this stage, other flowers might require another 2-4 weeks.
You can use your Creative Kids Vouchers to attend Earth Craft Online Workshops