Pressing flowers is definitely an age-old craft that may be enjoyed by everybody – from kids to create sophisticates. Floral displays and dried-flower plans have experienced an enormous resurgence, once we seek new methods to interact with nature and produce the good thing about the outside into our homes – and subsequently new-old trend is flower pressing, that is creating a welcome go back to our interior planning schemes.
‘It’s not only a vase of freshly selected blooms or perhaps a conventional display of everlasting flowers stuck into florist’s foam,’ states Andréa Children’s, Editor of Country Homes & Interiors magazine. ‘From flower clouds suspended over a dining room table to DIY living spring wreaths, creating exciting and innovative displays is a method to funnel our creativeness in simple, conscious ways in which assistance to bring calm to the senses and harmony to the home.
How You Can PRESS FLOWERS
Pressing flowers between your pages of the book, or perhaps in a flower press, is really a traditional method to preserve the fragile great thing about blooms – especially wild flowers that rapidly wilt once selected. They could be a keepsake of the walk and a method to note the shift from the seasons through their altering flowers. And also the conscious focus of pressing or displaying your preserved blooms could be surprisingly relaxing.
Designer Claire Holland of Paper Thin Moon started pressing flowers growing up, and she or he rediscovered her passion for the craft after getting kids of her very own.
‘It’s best to press flowers (particularly wild ones) when you’ve selected them – the fresher the greater,’ explains Claire. ‘I have a small notebook on an outing beside me, in order to press them on the run, i then transfer these to a bigger book after i go back home.
‘I put blotting paper each side from the flowers to prevent damaging the web pages and then leave them not less than two days before opening them up again. It’s this type of wonderful surprise to determine how they’ve switched out.’
Follow Claire’s step-by-step instructions for the way to press flowers, below. Plus, she share’s her strategies for picking the very best blooms in each and every season.
1. Get Ready For PICKING
‘Flowers, particularly wild flowers, will wilt rapidly once selected – particularly on warmer days. They’re unusable once far too late, if you know you’re going out searching for flowers to press, try going for a plastic, lidded tube along with you and keeping them inside before you go back home. I acquired mine from the florist,’ Claire states.
Alternatively, wrap the selected flowers in kitchen towel or fabric drenched in water.
2. REVIVE ANY WILTED FLOWERS
‘Most flowers could be elevated by cutting the stems with an position and putting them into slightly water for some time,’ states Claire.
‘If they’re very wilted, they may be place in water and left inside a awesome place or outdoors until they improve.’
For the best results, press flowers just after picking as you possibly can. But make certain they’re totally dry first to prevent damaging the fragile petals.
‘Lay flowers on kitchen paper to dry and blot with absorbent paper to get rid of excess moisture,’ states Claire
3. How You Can PRESS FLOWERS Inside A BOOK
You can purchase flower presses made from two bits of wood that you simply place flowers between, then screw together to flatten the blooms. But when you are searching for that simplest approach to how you can press flowers, take out a magazine.
Select a book with pages big enough to place flowers and stems between.
‘You may use blotting paper to safeguard the web pages from the book but you no longer need,’ states Claire. ‘Try to hold back not less than two days before opening it, because the flowers leaving can keep to the pages and tear if they’re not fully dry.’
To hurry in the process, you can put it within pile of heavier ones. Otherwise, just give it back for your bookshelf until you are ready to check out your pressed flowers.
4. DISPLAYING YOUR PRESSED FLOWERS
You can leave your pressed flowers inside a book to become chanced upon the next time you get it to see. But if you love trophy flowers instead of hidden treasures, you are able to display your pressed flowers in many ways.
Glue these to gift tags to create personalised presents display these questions frame insert them in a locket or bit of jewellery or perhaps cover in resin to create a pendant or paperweight.
You can purchase Claire’s pressed flower artworks and prints at Paper Thin Moon.