A New Use for Pressed Flowers..... - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 06-07-2001, 01:29 AM

A New Use for Pressed Flowers....
Imagine if you could capture the beauty of your favorite flowers forever. That was the inspiration behind the book "The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers" by Laura C. Martin {QVC Publishing**. She shows how to use them to decorate everything from t-shirts to stationary, curtains to throw pillows. The plant's own pigment makes the stain.
Step-By-Step :
1. Cover a cutting board with 1 or 2 paper towels; add the fabric or paper you will be designing on. Arrange flowers and tape lightly in place. Cut off stem and most of the flower center if it's thick.
2. Cover with a paper towel(place plastic or foil inside shirts or bags to prevent bleed-thru)Then hammer lightly, increasing firmness gradually until the image of the flower appears on te towel.
3. Peek at the back of the fabric to be sure the color has transfered. Gently peel off tape and crushed foliage. Print leaves and stem begining with step one. Iron with proper heat for the fabric to set design.

Best Fabrics : Naturals with smooth close weaves such as cotton, wool, silk, or linen.
Best Papers : Absorbent watercolor or hand-made
Best Flowers : Any with thin petals and colorful pigment such as lobelia, pansy, phlox, cosmos
Best Leaves : Ferns, vetch, sweet gum...
Addtional Suggestions : Use freshly picked flowers. Substitute stems and leaves as necessary ( or paint them in). Keep prints out of bright light to prevent fading. Dry Clean Only -OR- First make a color copy of a fabric or paper print onto Iron-On transfer paper; cut out the copy and iron the image face down on your project.

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Okay, this was NOT my brillant idea,

found it in the current issue of Woman's Day Magazine, June 26, 2001 page 88 ( Cover Article is "405 Best Ideas for Summer". Pick it up and thumb thru it while you are standing in the line at the grocery store because they have PICTURES that show some cute applications of this concept. I personally like the idea of a craft that I can also use to take out some aggression.

I am thinking of letting the kids try it (clover leaves done in a 4 leaf clover pattern for a golf towel ???)for Father's Day Gifts but the thought of them sitting there banging away with hammers will require CLOSE supervision !

I would love to hear if anyone tries this out (results or ideas). I am thinking of a garden scene painted around the "pounded" flower images......

Jolie Rouge · 06-08-2001, 02:10 AM

PRESSED PANSY PROJECTS : Pansies and their cousins violas have flat blossoms that press and dry wonderfully, making them ideal for projects that will last long after the blooms have faded from the garden. Learn how easy it is to press flowers, then use them to make a set of coasters, a framed wreath, or the pansy cards shown here. Pick up flats of flowers already in bloom, and snip the blossoms for pressing. Or grow them yourself to ensure a steady supply into summer; the more flowers you pick, the more your plants will produce.
Pressed Pansy Cards : To create personalized stationery, apply pressed pansies to handmade cards or to notepaper and matching envelopes. Pansies pressed on their stems work especially well for this project.
Materials: : Pansies and violas, or other dried flowers; medium- to heavy-weight paper or blank premade cards; bone folder or pencil; tweezers; small paintbrush; clear-drying craft glue.

Use or create cards in colors that complement your pressed flowers. If creating your own, make either a single-fold or accordion-style card, using a bone folder or the edge of a pencil to make sharp creases.

Arrange flowers on a spare sheet of paper as desired.

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully lift each flower; with a small paintbrush, dab the back of each with a bit of craft glue. Affix flowers to the card one at a time. Allow to dry before moving or touching.