Several weeks ago I read an article about how people had started taking up nineteenth-century hobbies during their time at home. One of these was flower pressing, which I have never before done but immediately wanted to try. I did a little research, and found a flower press on Amazon that lets you dry foliage in the microwave in seconds. No more having to wait weeks for flowers to dry in books.
It. Is. Amazing.
The colors are so vibrant and beautiful. It was all I could do to stop myself from pressing all the flowers growing in my garden. For my first project, I made a birthday card for my friend Amy. She came over for a little social-distanced, garden party for two yesterday, so the card went perfectly with the summer theme.
I drew vase and a mason jar on 5×7 cards, and then glued on the flowers. I thought some of you might want to try the project and created two printable cards, which may be downloaded free at the bottom of this post.
Materials:
Printer
Scissors or Paper Cutter
White Cardstock
Scoring Tool
Ruler
Flower Press
Paper Adhesive
Foam Brush
Flowers and Leaves
STEP 1 Download and Print
Download the PDF using the email form at the bottom of this page and save it. The PDF is two letter size, 8.5×11 inch sheets, with crop marks for 5 x 7 inch cards.
For paper, use a bright white cardstock. If you do not have a printer, you can also just have them printed at an office store local to you.
Once you are ready, open the file in Adobe Reader and print.
STEP 2 Cut Out Your Cards
I used a paper cutter to cut out my card, but you can also use scissors or an X-ACTO knife and straight edge. There are crop marks showing you where to cut.
STEP 3 Score and Fold
Use a scoring tool and ruler to create an indention for folding across the center of the card. To do this, just place the ruler five inches from the edge, then draw your scorer along the ruler several times.
This will allow you to fold the cardstock cleanly, without any cracking.
STEP 4 Dry Flowers
Select flowers for pressing. Plan to experiment a little here if this is your first time, to get the time correct. The press comes with instructions, which are helpful. I selected pansies, creeping jenny, and geraniums. I found that the pansies and jenny pressed easily, while the geraniums were more fragile.
Lay them out on the press between the cloth liners, and then snap it all into place. I microwaved mine for 40 seconds. After they are ready, carefully peal back the cloth. I ran my fingers underneath the bottom cloth a few times to dislodge the ones that stuck.
STEP 5 Glue Flowers to Card
Once the pressed flowers were completely drried, I attached them to the card. First, I arranged them the way I wanted on the cards.
I used Perfect Paper Adhesive in matte. (Click here to see current price on Amazon.) I took a foam brush, dabbed a small amount of glue onto each flower, and then attached them to the card. It took a few hours to dry. To be honest, the result wasn’t perfect, but it is art and I have always liked things to be a little disjointed. Enjoy the project and let me know what you come up with!
Ready to Start? Please enter your email address to release your free download. If you are not yet registered for Faking it Fabulous, you will also be added to my mailing list to receive notifications when I add new printables. Your email address will never be shared, and you may unsubscribe at any time.
Please use a computer, not a mobile device, to download your printables.
Note: Printables are for Personal Use Only, and the PDF may not be sold, distributed, or posted on other websites. If you wish to share this project, please link to this page. Happy crafting!