One way to liven up handmade items is to use pressed flowers or leaves. They bring spring into your home and your wardrobe and add color and vitality, not to mention romance. The best part is that they're a quick fix and if you want to be creative literally within minutes, all you need is to know how to press flowers quickly.
The art of pressing blooms is an old one. Many generations of children have filled the pages of their dictionaries and bibles with leaves and blooms to later create greeting cards. A thick, heavy book is probably the easiest tool to use if you want to press any plant materials but you can also use a flower press. This is made of two blocks of wood that are fastened on top of one another with screws.
The more traditional methods have some disadvantages. One is that they take time. In fact, the items you're pressing will only be ready for use after a couple of weeks. In addition, they often lose their vibrant colors. Moreover, the sap from the plants can cause stains and damage to books.
The addition of heat is a way to have your plants pressed and ready for use much more quickly. For example, place some cardboard and blotting paper on top of a tile. Lay the flower on top of this, add some more paper and cardboard and cover it with another tile. Press the top tile down and use rubber bands to fasten it the bottom tile. Microwave this assembly for ten seconds or so. Check the flower and repeat the process for as many times as are necessary.
Even simpler is to use a clothes iron. Take two sheets of blotting paper, place your flower in between them and weigh it down with something heavy. This will flatten the flower. Now take a clothes iron that is set on the cool and dry setting and press it down onto the paper for a few seconds. Check your flower and repeat until it's ready.
The main advantage of using either the microwave or the iron method is that it's quick. It only takes a few minutes before your flower is ready to use. However, another advantage is that the flower won't lose its vibrant colors and will look just like it's been freshly picked.
Be careful about the types of flower you decide to give the pressing treatment. Rounded and cup shapes don't translate well into flat shapes, so roses and tulips are not a good choice. It's better to use booms that have a naturally flat shape. Pansies are an excellent choice, as are daisies. Single petals and leaves are great to use as well.
There are almost unlimited ways in which to use the leaves, petals and whole blooms that you've pressed. Think beyond bookmarks and greeting cards and let your imagination run wild. For instance, use them to decorate lampshades or other everyday objects such as your cellphone cover. Give boring pieces of cheap jewelry a new life with the floral treatment. Even Easter will never be the same once you've covered plain old eggshells in a way that resembles a summer garden.
The art of pressing blooms is an old one. Many generations of children have filled the pages of their dictionaries and bibles with leaves and blooms to later create greeting cards. A thick, heavy book is probably the easiest tool to use if you want to press any plant materials but you can also use a flower press. This is made of two blocks of wood that are fastened on top of one another with screws.
The more traditional methods have some disadvantages. One is that they take time. In fact, the items you're pressing will only be ready for use after a couple of weeks. In addition, they often lose their vibrant colors. Moreover, the sap from the plants can cause stains and damage to books.
The addition of heat is a way to have your plants pressed and ready for use much more quickly. For example, place some cardboard and blotting paper on top of a tile. Lay the flower on top of this, add some more paper and cardboard and cover it with another tile. Press the top tile down and use rubber bands to fasten it the bottom tile. Microwave this assembly for ten seconds or so. Check the flower and repeat the process for as many times as are necessary.
Even simpler is to use a clothes iron. Take two sheets of blotting paper, place your flower in between them and weigh it down with something heavy. This will flatten the flower. Now take a clothes iron that is set on the cool and dry setting and press it down onto the paper for a few seconds. Check your flower and repeat until it's ready.
The main advantage of using either the microwave or the iron method is that it's quick. It only takes a few minutes before your flower is ready to use. However, another advantage is that the flower won't lose its vibrant colors and will look just like it's been freshly picked.
Be careful about the types of flower you decide to give the pressing treatment. Rounded and cup shapes don't translate well into flat shapes, so roses and tulips are not a good choice. It's better to use booms that have a naturally flat shape. Pansies are an excellent choice, as are daisies. Single petals and leaves are great to use as well.
There are almost unlimited ways in which to use the leaves, petals and whole blooms that you've pressed. Think beyond bookmarks and greeting cards and let your imagination run wild. For instance, use them to decorate lampshades or other everyday objects such as your cellphone cover. Give boring pieces of cheap jewelry a new life with the floral treatment. Even Easter will never be the same once you've covered plain old eggshells in a way that resembles a summer garden.
About the Author:
You can visit www.microfleur.com for more helpful information about How To Press Flowers Quickly For Instant Creativity.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire