It’s May! Have you seen any beautiful flowers outside? The preserves are absolutely bursting with wildflowers of different colors and shapes.
Gardens are blooming, and stores are selling big bouquets for all celebrations. Flowers stay perfect for a short time before they begin to wilt, but you can preserve them by pressing them!
Materials
Flowers
A heavy book
Tissue paper or coffee filters
Instructions
1. Decide which flowers you want to press.
2. Place the flower in between two coffee filters or pieces of tissue paper.
3. Put the flower “sandwich” inside a heavy book. Only put one to two flowers per coffee filter “sandwich.” If you are pressing more flowers, use more filters. You might also need more books!
4. Either place something heavy on top of the book or place it in a tight spot on a bookshelf.
5. After a few days, open the book and check your flower to make sure there is no moisture. Replace the coffee filters and return your book to its resting spot. Repeat two to three times.
Tips
This whole process takes about two to six weeks. Be patient!
Press your flower soon after you pick it or when it is at full bloom. You don’t want brown or wilted flowers.
Try different types of flowers, grasses or other plants. Which ones work best?
What do you with your finished flowers? Get creative! Decorate your room by putting them in a frame. Use the petals in papermaking or custom art. Or get scientific! Save the whole specimen in a nature journal. Record the species of flower, where you found it and anything other interesting information.
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