Basics of Pressing Flowers
If you are looking for a project during your growing seasons, you can learn to press flowers to create beautiful and original works of art! In this article we will talk about pressing flowers without the hassle of buying equipment or extras. You may find you have yourself a new hobby before you get too far in this craft.

Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006

You will be required to pick some of your best looking flowers, the flowers that you enjoy the most in regards to colors, shapes, sizes and availability. One thing that is important when picking flowers is that you want to pick them for pressing when they are still fresh. This means in the morning before the sun has baked the moisture from the petals. This is also when your flower is at its best; full of color and filled with a crispness that will allow you to press the flower and retain their color easily.

You won’t be pressing your flowers right after you pick them, though, because you will want to give some thought to placement. If you press it flat without moving the petals at all, you could end up with a side view of the flower, with one or two petals covering the remainder of what you could have seen if you had pressed the flower at an angle.

You’ll want to look at the flower from various angles to make sure you find one that is going to capture the real image you want to create. Leaves on flowers that are pressed are generally laid out flat. Some flowers look great when the veins of the leaves are showing and others don’t, but this is up to you.

Using two sheets of paper put one sheet of paper on either side of the flower and put the flower between two books so it will flatten out. You may need to keep this flower between the books for a few days to a week until it has dried out completely. Some larger flowers or multiple flower arrangements that you are drying can take a few weeks to dry between the books. You want to use the heaviest books you can find to make the process easier. With a little glue and a pretty frame you are well on your way to creating art for gifts or to use in your home.