Pressing flowers is a craft that has been around since the Victorian era when it was used for preserving plant specimens. Today, pressing flowers is mostly used to preserve flowers which have a special meaning such as blooms from a wedding bouquet, flowers from Grandma’s garden or flowers given to you from someone special. They’re also used as a base of many beautiful craft activities.
The best way to press flowers is to use a flower press. A flower press contains multiple layers of cardboard sandwiched between a heavy top and bottom plate. Flowers are placed in between the layers of cardboard and the top plate is tightened with bolts to compress the layers and press the flowers. After a few weeks, flowers can be removed from the flower press. You can purchase a flower press here and learn how to press flowers here.
Pressing flowers is a fun activity that gets kids out in nature. Once pressed, the dried flowers can be used as a base for a wide range of craft projects and activities. Here are 15 pressed flower activities that will entertain kids of all ages.
Pressed flower butterfly wings
Create pressed flower butterfly wings for your kids to wear while exploring the garden. You’ll need a thick branch, sheets of baking paper, clear contact paper and pressed flowers. Cut two sheets of baking paper into wing shapes. Lay the sheet onto the contact paper and trace around it with a 5cm gap from the baking paper. Lay pressed flowers facing upwards on the baking paper sheet. Peal the backing sheet from the contact paper and gently lay it down over the top of the flower arrangements on the baking paper. Use a hot glue gun to glue the branch body to the centre of the wings and two elastic straps to the top and bottom of the wings.
Image by Woodlark.
Pressed flower nature journal
This activity is a great way to get kids out of the house and in nature. Explore your garden and collect a range of flowers and leaves that are suitable for pressing. Make notes in your nature journal of the types of flowers and leaves you collect, the location and why you picked them. Press your collection of flowers and leaves using a flower press. After a few weeks, your pressed flowers should be ready to add to your nature journal.
Image by Ginger Tonic Botanicals.
Homemade pressed flower petal paper
Making your own paper is not only a beautiful craft to indulge yourself in, but a great way to give scrap paper a second life. Using a traditional and simple paper making method, you can transform scrap paper such as office paper, junk mail, paper grocery bags, or even the yellow pages into beautiful handmade paper creations adorned with pressed flowers and leaves. Follow the steps here to create handmade flower petal paper at home.
Image by Burnetts Boards.
Pressed flower ornaments
Make pressed flower ornaments with salt dough. To make salt dough, combine 2 cups of all purpose flour and 1 cup of salt in a bowl. Slowly mix in 1 cup of water and combine until dough is smooth. Knead for 10 minutes and roll out onto a flat surface to the desired thickness. Cut shapes into the dough, place pressed flowers onto each shape and use the rolling pin to press the flowers into the dough. Poke a hole at the top of each shape where you would like the string to be threaded through. Bake in a preheated oven at 120 degrees Celsius for 2 hours or until hard. Allow to cool before tying string around them.
Image by Sprouting Wild Ones.
Pressed flower egg decorations
This craft is particularly fun to do at Easter with your kids. Create blown eggs by gently piercing a small hole in the top and bottom of uncooked eggs with a needle. Holding the egg with your hands, gently blow over the top hole. The egg should run out of the bottom of the hole. Leave them out in a safe place for a few days for the inside of the egg to dry out. Stick pressed flowers to the eggshell using craft glue and a paint brush. Once the glue has dried these decorated eggs can be placed around the home to celebrate Easter.
Image by Clover Home.
Make a pressed edible flower cake
Take your pressed flower creations into the kitchen. Bake a cake or cupcakes and decorate them with pressed edible flowers. Find out how to make a pressed edible flower cake here.
Image by Blushing Cook.
Pressed flower gift tags and cards
Share your pressed flower creations with loved ones in the form of cards and gift tags. Use sturdy cardboard to create your own gift tags and cards and use a paint brush and craft glue to glue pressed flowers on them.
Image by Instructables.
Pressed flower bookmarks
Create pressed flower bookmarks to gift to your family and friends. Simply cut a bookmark shape from sturdy cardboard and use a paint brush and craft glue to stick pressed flowers onto it. Once dry, you can leave the bookmarks as they are, or if you want to make them last longer, you can laminate them. Add decorations to the top by using a hole-punch to create a hole and tying ribbon or a tassel to the top.
Image by Aberle Home.
Pressed flowers on cardboard shapes
Create beautiful eco-friendly decorations for celebration days such as Easter or Christmas, or to gift to loved ones. Simply cut shapes in different sizes out of recycled cardboard and glue pressed blooms onto them.
Image and craft activity by Moments Like Mine.
Pressed flower jars
Teach your kids the value of upcycling and turning something destine for the bin into a usable item they can treasure forever. Collect glass jars from your recycling bin. Using craft glue and a paint brush, sick pressed flowers onto the glass jar and apply more glue over the top of the flowers to secure them in place. Once dry you can use your newly decorated glass jar as a storage container, vase or candle holder.
Image by Babyccino Kids.
Pressed flower phone case
This craft is great to do with teenagers or for yourself. Use your existing phone case or purchase a new plain case. Using craft glue and a paint brush, stick pressed flowers to the phone case and apply glue over the top to secure in place. Allow to dry before putting your phone into the case.
Image by Capture by Lucy.
Pressed flower wall art
Turn your pressed flowers into beautiful wall art. The beautiful aspect of this craft is it’s only limited by your imagination. You can use a normal frame, double-sided glass frame, canvas or paper to showcase your pressed flower creations. You can arrange the pressed flowers to make works of art such as floral faces, letters, words or sceneries.
Image by Design Sponge.
Pressed flower Jewellery
Purchase clear glass lockets from a craft store. Press small flowers and place them inside the locket. If you need to secure the flower in place, use a small drop of glue on the back of the flower.
Image by Monsters Circus.
Pressed flower sun catcher
Create a pressed flower sun catcher by cutting a ring out of thin cardboard or paper. Use two different sized plates to get a perfect ring or draw freehand for a rustic style ring. Place the cardboard ring on the back of contact paper and trace around the outside. Complete this process twice to create two circles of contact paper. Cut out the contact paper and peel the backing paper off one of the circles. With the sticky side facing upwards, place the cardboard ring on top and decorate the inside part of the ring with pressed flowers. Peel the backing paper off the second piece of contact paper and carefully align with the ring and place over the top to secure the pressed flowers in place. Hang up the sun catcher in a sunny place or sick it to a window.
Image and craft activity by Melissa Wastney.
Pressed flower candles
Make a beautiful gift by decorating a plain pillar candle with pressed flowers. Light a small spare candle and place a knife over the flame for a few seconds to heat up. Place the flat side of the hot knife on the pillar candle to gently melt the wax. Take the knife away and place a pressed flower onto the section of wax you’ve melted. Once the wax has hardened, it will secure the pressed flower in place. Reheat the knife and place it on top of the flower to further heat the wax around it. This will completely secure the flower in place. Repeat this process until you’ve added all of the petals and flowers to your candle.
Image by Debbie Macomber.
