If scrap booking is your passion, you’re constantly looking for new ways to make your books more personal, more faithful to the memories you want to capture. Pressed flowers make a for great scrapbook additions.

There are so many moments in life where you wish you those flowers would last forever. Think back to you first bouquet from a new beau or the white roses from your wedding day. Pressed flowers can also commemorate sad events like the favorite flowers of a loved one that’s passed away or even the leaves and flowers from memorable nature trip. Having the actual flower and placing it in your scrapbook marks that occasion in a more meaningful way.

So, how do you get started? First, you have to pick out flowers. Remember that the thinner the flower, the faster it dries and the better will be in retaining its color. Also, select flowers that look good when laid out flat. Try to experiment with different kinds of flowers to see which ones make the best trimmings.

Now, on to the challenge of preserving and pressing the flower. If you have a flower press, the process is quite simple. All you have to do is put the flower in between two pieces of botanical paper and then put that in between a spacer board. You decide on the length of time you want to press the flowers and increase the pressure as the days go by. Usually, most flowers and shrubbery needs at least two weeks to dry sufficiently.

If you don’t have a flower press, do it the old-fashioned way. All you need to get started are two paper towels. Arrange the flowers on one paper towel and then cover it with the other piece (You may also use wax paper or coffee filters). Put them in between a thick book. Finally, you can put those outmoded encyclopedias to use! When, you’ve secured the paper, stack a book and a heavy rock on top of it (about 15-20 lbs. worth). You can choose to add more and more weights as the days go by. Expect for it to dry in two to three weeks.

After this, you can start arranging the petals in your scrapbook.

The flowers are pretty delicate so make sure to handle with care and use the right glue. Flower pressing is fun and a great way to take scrapbooking to another level. You can also embellish other handicrafts like greeting cards, gift-wrapping, bookmarks, and even candles.

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Timothy Spencer

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