Take advantage of the season's beautiful plant life to enjoy a fun time with the young ones: Have the kids collect flowers, press the blooms, and turn them into lovely, lasting crafts. They are sure to learn something from each step in the process, including naming the flowers, collecting them, pressing the blooms until they are thin and delicate, and turning them into decorative creations.
Step 1: Gather flowers
Spend time outdoors with the kids talking about your favorite flowers and theirs. Point out the different types in the garden and discuss why plants have flowers. Work side-by-side to collect a good assortment, snipping the stems near where they meet the blooms.
Remind your grandkids to look for other pieces of nature that catch their eye, too — not just fancy flowers. “I love using weeds, leaves, bushes, seedpods. It doesn’t have to be a flower,” explains Tricia Paoluccio, a crafter in New York City, who sells pressed-flower greeting cards on etsy.com, a website that allows users to buy and sell handmade items. Paoluccio says that she finds many pretty wildflowers and weeds on the side of the highway, in addition to her own garden. “Or, if you don’t have a garden, pieces taken from florist bouquets work as well,” adds fellow Etsy-vendor Sherry Bloom.
Both crafters agree that some flowers work better than others: “Any kind of daisies, pansies, and violas press well, along with other purple flowers. But white petals tend to turn brown and don’t look as good over time,” says Paoluccio. Timing is also important. “Cut your flowers early in the day,” Bloom suggests. “That’s when they look the freshest and have the best color. Make sure the flower petals are completely dry — that means no raindrops or early morning dew. Any moisture on the petals will cause them to turn brown during the pressing process.”
For faster pressing and drying, choose delicate flowers and stems. Heartier varieties take much longer to dry and often don't turn out as nicely.
Next step: Press flowers »
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