Dried Flower Creations

So Mothers Day is only a couple of months away – I think this could be a perfect activity to do with your class to create something beautiful for a handmade gift made with love!!

Start collecting some flowers now, ready for drying and pressing flat, and create your final card designs early next term – brilliant!! Check out this idea…….

Dried flowers are surprisingly easy to prepare, but have you ever been stuck for an idea of what to do with them? I recently came across some sweet pea flowers that I had dried in a book months ago, I was delighted at how beautifully they had retained their colours. When I pressed them I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I was now determined to find an elegant craft idea to transform these flowers.

Firstly – to dry the flowers you don’t need any special equipment. Get your largest hardcover book (that is not too precious), and a few tissues. Lay at least one tissue down on one of the centre pages, place your flower on top of the tissue, lay another tissue on top, and then gently close your book. You will notice the book won’t close flush, but as the flower loses moisture it will look flatter. Slot the book back into your bookshelf and forget about it for 2-4 weeks. Thicker flowers will need more time. If your flowers are too lumpy/fleshy, try pressing the petals and leaves! Try to resist checking too early, it may damage your flower. 

Now, dried flowers make great decorations for greeting cards, but I want to try something different. Those lovely delicate petals reminded me of bug wings, and so I am turning my flowers into delicate little mixed-media bugs. They could also be birds, fairies, or dragons.

I glued the flowers down to some small white postcard size bits of cardboard. I worked delicately at gluing them down with a cotton bud and some PVA glue. Leave to dry for one hour. Now I have used a lead pencil, because I feel like these delicate flowers need a light touch. I researched some bug bodies online for inspiration, and came up with eight different bug bodies to match my flower wings. These could be left as just lead pencil drawings, but I did take a few to the next level and paint them with some watercolours. 

These could make nice mothers/fathers day gifts, or could just be a great activity to get the kids thinking about nature. 

Another LOW BUDGET idea for you to try with your class, or kids at home. Let us know what you think in the comments below – we would love to see your Dried Flower Creations too – be sure to tag us in the socials.

Until next week,

Keep creating!

Tracy x