DIY Network

Pressed Flowers Create great looks with pressed flowers. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-109

There's no limit to what you can do with pressed flowers.

Fresh flowers can be a great part of your crafting life—even if they're not actually fresh.

B. Original host Michele Beschen loves using pressed flowers in everything from collages to wall treatments. Let her show you how to create your own flower press, use it to press your own blooms and even create a custom art piece. It's a fun way to B. Original with nature's beauty.

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Flower Press

Materials:

2 pieces of wood
4 carriage bolts ¼" in diameter
4 wing nuts
lightweight cardboard
paper towels
flowers
drill

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Note: Dimensions for this project are up to you: Your flower press can be large or small, thick or thin. Think about the size and number of flowers you want to press, as well as how much space you want to give the press.

• Trim your boards to size, if needed.

• Line up the boards and clamp them together. Drill a hole in each corner of the paired boards (figure A); the hole should be big enough for the carriage bolt to fit through snugly.

• Thread carriage bolts through the holes from the bottom and secure with wing nuts.

• To use the press, remove the top piece of wood. Lay down a piece of cardboard, then a sheet of either recycled newsprint or paper towel. Add your flowers and leaves, leaving space for them to spread out. Top with more paper and cardboard. Keep building this up until all of your flowers are in the press, then replace the top and tighten down with the wing nuts (figure B).
  
  
• In a couple of weeks, you should have some fabulous, flat flowers and leaves (figure C).

	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

Pressed-Flower Wall Treatment

Materials:

large piece of scrap drywall
large pressed flowers
wallpaper paste
waxed paper
paint

Note: Use a wallpaper paste designed for unpasted wallpaper.

• Paint your drywall a soft, light color and let dry completely.

• Spread a thin layer of wallpaper paste where you want to attach your first flower, then gently place the flower on the pasted area. Smooth out the flower, being careful not to tear it (figure D). Repeat for your other blooms.

• Paint in flower stems or any other designs you like
  (figure E).

• Tear up pieces of waxed paper and crumple tightly to wrinkle them. Lay a piece of waxed paper over your design and brush wallpaper paste over the top to stick it down. Keep adding waxed paper, overlapping the pieces slightly, until the entire board is covered (figure F).

There's no limit to what you can do with pressed flowers. Experiment to find how they fit into your style!