Getting crafty with pressed flowers

FLOWER PRESS: A wooden flower press, also home-made and newspaper is all you need to start drying and pressing your own selection of flowers and foliage. Pictures by Kim Parkinson Instagram: @Florabunda21

Pressed flowers aren’t just a way to preserve one of nature’s most beautiful gifts, but they’re also perfect for adorning handmade cards or using in a wide range of craft projects and activities, Kim Parkinson says.

As the winter months approach, it is a good time to take up a new hobby or craft.

As a lover of flowers and all things botanical, I started pressing flowers last year to use on handmade cards and as little artworks in frames.

This has led to me scouring second-hand shops for old frames which I can paint, restore and put my dried flower compositions into.

You need very little — a flower press or heavy old book, some craft glue, frames or cards and you’re away.

The best flowers to press are ones with flat leaves and fine blossoms, such as pansies, violas, verbena and Queen Anne’s lace. I am yet to try ferns and herbs.

Last year I pressed Queen Anne’s lace, or daucus carota, which grows wild around our property, and hydrangeas.

More recently, I have uncovered my latest additions of pansies and marigolds which have been in the press over the summer months. I was pleased to discover the dark purple and yellow pansies had pressed well, as had the marigolds which are more dense when you put them into the press.

A little tip to prevent the pressed flowers from going mouldy is to spray them with hairspray. You can also use a clear nail varnish.

The fun part is taking the flowers out of the press and assembling them, trying different combinations and compositions on coloured or plain card.

And who doesn’t love getting a handmade card. It gives it a personal touch.

If you are going to try a larger-scale artwork using pressed flowers, I would recommend using UV glass in your frames to prevent sun damage. The flowers tend to fade otherwise.