Spring is on its way, and as the frost begins to melt and buds begin to bloom, it is the perfect time to start pressing and drying the first flowers of this next season! These pretty cards serve to preserve a piece of God’s creation and bless those around us by sending friends and family a little note of thanks. While pressed flowers typically can take a few days to a week to dry, this simple method takes less than ten minutes and produces the same effects as using a wooden flower press or folding flowers between the leaves of a book. Experimenting with different flowers, colors, and arrangements is a lot of fun, so without further ado, let’s get crafting!
Tools and Equipment:
- An iron
- Mod Podge Glue
- A foam brush or paintbrush you don’t mind getting glue on
- A black pen or thin sharpie
- Freshly cut flowers
- An ironing board or any heat-resistant surface
- A heavy book
- Two sheets of parchment paper
- A sheet of card stock paper
First, gather your supplies. Make sure to cut off any stems as close to the flower as possible, so they will lay flat on the parchment paper.
Next, lay all your fresh flowers onto one of the sheets of parchment paper. Make sure that the top of the flower faces up and that they are spaced apart to prevent them from sticking to one another when ironed.
Carefully place the second sheet of parchment paper on top of the flowers and place a heavy book on top of the layers of paper, pressing the flowers flat. Leave the flowers under the book for a minimum of five minutes.
While waiting, fold the sheet of card stock paper in half lengthwise, creating a card. Then, using a pencil, write “Thank You” in cursive or print lettering and add on any garden creatures of your choosing.
Trace over your pencil lettering with a pen and allow the ink to dry for a few minutes before erasing any visible pencil lines.
Next, carefully remove the book from the flowers and slide the parchment paper onto your ironing surface. Make sure that the flowers are still spaced apart before you begin. Place the iron, on the lowest heat setting, on top of the flowers and press straight down for ten seconds. Refrain from moving the iron around on the parchment, as this could shift the flowers. Then lift the iron off and let the flowers cool for fifteen seconds. Repeat this process until the flowers are dry to the touch and carefully remove them.
Once your flowers are cool, place them on your card in any arrangement you like.
Removing a couple of flowers at a time, paint the mod podge onto your paper before placing the flowers back on. Make sure to put a piece of scratch paper between the leaves of the card to prevent the glue from seeping through.
Lastly, once the first layer of glue has mostly dried, gently apply a second layer of glue on top of the flowers. Don’t worry if the glue seems to cover the flower at first, as the mod podge dries clear.
Write a note inside your card, tuck it into an envelope, and you’re finished!
Works Cited:
Walker, Jeanne. “How to Press Flowers.” WikiHow, 15 September 2021, www.wikihow.com/Press-Flowers.
Photo Credit: Author