Flower Pressing Tips, Part 2 - Revisited

We are in early summer here in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and it is beautiful. My perennials and annuals are blooming, and the wildflower seeds I planted earlier along the cornfield are beginning to pop as well, so as usual I'm doing lot's of pressing. I love it!

Here are a few more pressed flower tips I want to share with you:

*  I usually press the flowers I gather right away, but sometimes I let certain flowers sit on the counter for awhile, such as carpet cosmos, poppies, and even pansies. I gently flatten them out, and arrange the petals as needed, but then I let them sit for a few hours, and they kind of “draw in a bit.” This tends to concentrate the color of the flowers, and it adds a bit of interesting texture. Try it, and see what you think.

*  A number of you have written in asking me what kind of glue I use on pressed flowers. For years I used plain old Elmer's glue.  However, now I tend to use Perfect Paper Adhesive for both gluing and protecting all of my pressed flower and botanical art pieces. It's UV resistant, moisture proof, and it's even flexible - and virtually invisible.

*  Pansies are a favorite for pressed flower artists, but they can be tricky to glue properly. Here’s how I glue them:
First, place a small drop of glue in the center of the flower, and place a row of small dots of glue along the outer edge of the flower. Arrange the pansy where you want it and press down.

Then take a tooth pick and gently run it under the overlapping petals of the pansy from the middle out, and lift up the flaps that make up the "face" of the pansy.  Place a tiny drop of adhesive on the end of the toothpick, and gently slide it under the unsecured parts of the overlapping petals.

After gluing down the flowers, I would recommend lightly covering each flower, stem and leaf with a light coat of Perfect Paper Adhesive to preserve and protect the them and to maintain their vibrant colors.  If I'm making a piece of pressed flower art that will be framed at some point, I also spray it with clear UV resistant sealer in addition to applying the PPA.

Happy pressing!