If life is beginning to feel somewhat busy and accelerating again, with lockdowns and restrictions easing and generally being outside more in the summer months, this very simple nature-based activity might offer a few moments to pause and slow down.
Flower pressing is a timeless creative pastime that can bring us directly into contact with the natural world around us. Choosing carefully which wild flowers to pick and press can be a real exercise in noticing details we don’t always have time to see, and can be soothing to the senses. Children really enjoy this activity too – I would often find little buttercups and daisies pressed between the pages of my children’s notebooks when they were small… there must be something quite fascinating about the flowers changing as they dry out, or maybe there is simply a strong impulse in us all to preserve things we find beautiful?
This gentle craft invites a leisurely walk out in nature. There are so many wild flowers at this time of year, ranging from bold, bright colours, to those more subtle and delicate. Grasses and leaves can also make beautiful pressings and add more dimensions to your composition.
This craft is also partly something you can do using saved and recycled materials – once your flowers are pressed, use some salvaged card, tissue paper or craft paper to make a composition of your flowers. Use a basic glue (either a little PVA or a ‘pritt stick’ to secure your flowers). You can also use salvaged, inherited or upcycled lace or ribbon to frame your flowers (lace gives this craft a lovely vintage feel, in keeping with the timeless nature of the activity) – again, secure these with a little glue. And finally, use a recycled plastic envelope sleeve (commonly found on commercial greetings cards), to act as a protective cover for your pressed flower art. Tip: pre-measure and cut the paper or card that you assemble your flowers on, to fit inside your plastic envelope sleeve.
You could even make an outer frame from other upcycled materials you may have to hand, to contain your image in the sleeve – with the sleeve acting as the ‘glass’ of your frame. And you could use a recycled glass jar as a vase for any spare flowers.
Do only pick what you need for this craft, and it’s also a good idea to stick to wild flowers that grow abundantly, or in the cracks of the pavements or roadside walls – see what you can notice 😊. I most likely don’t need to say this, but please don’t pick flowers from gardens without permission!
I hope you enjoy some peaceful time in nature, and most of all…
Happy Crafting!
© 2021 Abigail Cole, find more creative ideas at Abigail’s website Forgetful Fairy Art Studio.
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