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.
Many a child has gone through a period of pressing every interesting-looking piece of plant material between the pages of a heavy dictionary of the family bible. It's a cheap and easy method of preserving flora. Another traditional method is to use a flower press, which is made up of two wooden blocks screwed together with the flower sandwiched in between.
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.
Even simpler is to use a clothes iron. Take two sheets of blotting paper, place your flower in between them and weigh it down with something heavy. This will flatten the flower. Now take a clothes iron that is set on the cool and dry setting and press it down onto the paper for a few seconds. Check your flower and repeat until it's ready.
Applying heat has the advantage that it's quick. You'll have pressed plant materials ready for use within minutes. In addition, they will have retained their colors and vibrancy so that they look as if they're fresh from the garden.
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.
Once you have your pressed plant materials, you're spoiled for choice when it comes to ways of using them. Aside from the more traditional options of greeting cards or bookmarks, you can use them for lampshades made of paper. Paste them onto flat plastic surfaces like old bangles or the cover for your iPhone to give these items a new look. Turn a wooden box into a stunning, colorful jewelry box fir for a princess. Even Easter eggs can benefit from the floral treatment.
Many a child has gone through a period of pressing every interesting-looking piece of plant material between the pages of a heavy dictionary of the family bible. It's a cheap and easy method of preserving flora. Another traditional method is to use a flower press, which is made up of two wooden blocks screwed together with the flower sandwiched in between.
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.
Even simpler is to use a clothes iron. Take two sheets of blotting paper, place your flower in between them and weigh it down with something heavy. This will flatten the flower. Now take a clothes iron that is set on the cool and dry setting and press it down onto the paper for a few seconds. Check your flower and repeat until it's ready.
Applying heat has the advantage that it's quick. You'll have pressed plant materials ready for use within minutes. In addition, they will have retained their colors and vibrancy so that they look as if they're fresh from the garden.
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.
Once you have your pressed plant materials, you're spoiled for choice when it comes to ways of using them. Aside from the more traditional options of greeting cards or bookmarks, you can use them for lampshades made of paper. Paste them onto flat plastic surfaces like old bangles or the cover for your iPhone to give these items a new look. Turn a wooden box into a stunning, colorful jewelry box fir for a princess. Even Easter eggs can benefit from the floral treatment.
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