One way to liven up handmade items is to use pressed flowers or leaves. They bring spring into your home and your wardrobe and add color and vitality, not to mention romance. The best part is that they're a quick fix and if you want to be creative literally within minutes, all you need is to know how to press flowers quickly.
The art of pressing blooms is an old one. Many generations of children have filled the pages of their dictionaries and bibles with leaves and blooms to later create greeting cards. A thick, heavy book is probably the easiest tool to use if you want to press any plant materials but you can also use a flower press. This is made of two blocks of wood that are fastened on top of one another with screws.
The traditional methods of using a book or a flower press unfortunately have several disadvantages. The main one is that the flower will only be ready for use after several weeks. Another is that it may lose its color. Moreover, the plant sap can stain and damage books.
There are much quicker ways to get the blooms you want. One is to use the microwave. Take two tiles, top them with a layer of cardboard and blotting paper and then sandwich the flower in between the two tiles. Use rubber bands to secure the tiles together as tightly as possible. Now simply microwave this for a few seconds. Keep checking the flower and microwaving it in short increments until it's ready.
Alternatively, place your flower on a sheet of paper and cover it with another sheet. Place something heavy on top to flatten it the way you want it. Remove the heavy object. Then set a clothes iron to the cool and dry setting and gently press it onto the paper for a few seconds. Check the flower and repeat the process until your flower feels stiff and dry.
Using the microwave or the clothes iron has the advantage that it's quick. You'll have a pressed flower within minutes. A bonus is that the flower won't lose its color and will look vibrant, almost as if you've just picked it.
Be careful about the types of flower you decide to give the pressing treatment. Rounded and cup shapes don't translate well into flat shapes, so roses and tulips are not a good choice. It's better to use booms that have a naturally flat shape. Pansies are an excellent choice, as are daisies. Single petals and leaves are great to use as well.
There are almost unlimited ways in which to use the leaves, petals and whole blooms that you've pressed. Think beyond bookmarks and greeting cards and let your imagination run wild. For instance, use them to decorate lampshades or other everyday objects such as your cellphone cover. Give boring pieces of cheap jewelry a new life with the floral treatment. Even Easter will never be the same once you've covered plain old eggshells in a way that resembles a summer garden.
The art of pressing blooms is an old one. Many generations of children have filled the pages of their dictionaries and bibles with leaves and blooms to later create greeting cards. A thick, heavy book is probably the easiest tool to use if you want to press any plant materials but you can also use a flower press. This is made of two blocks of wood that are fastened on top of one another with screws.
The traditional methods of using a book or a flower press unfortunately have several disadvantages. The main one is that the flower will only be ready for use after several weeks. Another is that it may lose its color. Moreover, the plant sap can stain and damage books.
There are much quicker ways to get the blooms you want. One is to use the microwave. Take two tiles, top them with a layer of cardboard and blotting paper and then sandwich the flower in between the two tiles. Use rubber bands to secure the tiles together as tightly as possible. Now simply microwave this for a few seconds. Keep checking the flower and microwaving it in short increments until it's ready.
Alternatively, place your flower on a sheet of paper and cover it with another sheet. Place something heavy on top to flatten it the way you want it. Remove the heavy object. Then set a clothes iron to the cool and dry setting and gently press it onto the paper for a few seconds. Check the flower and repeat the process until your flower feels stiff and dry.
Using the microwave or the clothes iron has the advantage that it's quick. You'll have a pressed flower within minutes. A bonus is that the flower won't lose its color and will look vibrant, almost as if you've just picked it.
Be careful about the types of flower you decide to give the pressing treatment. Rounded and cup shapes don't translate well into flat shapes, so roses and tulips are not a good choice. It's better to use booms that have a naturally flat shape. Pansies are an excellent choice, as are daisies. Single petals and leaves are great to use as well.
There are almost unlimited ways in which to use the leaves, petals and whole blooms that you've pressed. Think beyond bookmarks and greeting cards and let your imagination run wild. For instance, use them to decorate lampshades or other everyday objects such as your cellphone cover. Give boring pieces of cheap jewelry a new life with the floral treatment. Even Easter will never be the same once you've covered plain old eggshells in a way that resembles a summer garden.
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