Making a Bookmark To make a bookmark, cut out a cardboard book shape 5cm (2.5in) by 12cm (5in). Coloured card or heavy construction paper is good. Dilute some white craft glue with the same amount of water and mix.
Arrange your flower design. You can make letters using odd petals glued individually into place, or butterflies with pansy petal wings and daisy petal bodies, drawing in the antennae by hand. When you are happy with the design, using a paintbrush, carefully paint the back of each flower with the dilute glue and stick them onto the cardboard. Add a name or sign the bookmark if you wish.
To protect the flowers, cover the bookmark with clear contact (the same that you use on your schoolbooks). You can punch a hole in the top of the card and tie a ribbon in place.
Other projects You can use the same technique to make a gift card, either using a blank card or making one from cardboard or heavy construction paper, folding it carefully.
To decorate a box, simply glue on the flowers. Another great idea is to make a door sign from a card rectangle, cutting a round hole for the door-handle, and decorating with your favourite flowers.
A place mat can be made from canvas, rice paper on construction paper. You'll need to cover these with clear contact to protect the flowers from spills.
A sun catcher can be made by gluing flowers onto a piece of glass or clear acrylic and then placing a second sheet over the first and fixing the edges with a cloth adhesive tape or flexible metal strips sold in craft stores. Remember that flowers in a sun-catcher will fade, as pressed flowers fade naturally in sunlight.
You can make an album to remember a special holiday, the flowers from your birthday bouquet or just to remember the gorgeous garden you grew all by yourself this last summer.
Have Fun Pressing flowers is all great fun, from collecting to pressing to making bookmarks and other gifts with the pressed flowers. Get busy now and make an Easter card or surprise Mum on Mother's Day.
Flowers that Press Well