Pressed Flower Card

How to Collect and Press Flowers for Crafting

Pressed flowers embody:

Memories of warm spring and summer days,
Special memories we want to preserve, and most simply
The wonder and beauty of nature.

The ways to use pressed flowers in your crafting are endless - pressed flowers adorning your hand made cards is just one example.

Small, colorful, fresh flowers are easy to press, fun to collect and they're free! They can be stored away for years, but can also be used in your crafts a few days after collecting.

If you don't have a flower press, just place the flowers between two sheets of wax paper and weight down by pressing inside a heavy book. These wild Mexican violets were pressed in an old phone book and then stored in the wax paper inside a box for two years before using.

A small press like this works well for small flowers. You can even make your own flower press of any size following directions freely available on the internet.

Collect your flowers while on a spring walk in the afternoon. This is the best time to pick flowers for pressing as there is less moisture in them at that time of day. Press the blossoms as soon as you return home. They will be pressed and ready for use in a few days depending on the size and thickness of each flower

I like to press several small flowers together on the same sheet of paper and larger ones by themselves.

Pressed Flower Cards Materials

For Flower Pressing

Small flower press or a large, heavy book
Two 8 x 10-inch pieces of wax paper
Small fresh flowers of various colors picked in the afternoon

For the Pressed Flower Card

Blank note card with a window and matching envelope - or make your own as described below
White PVA glue like Elmer's Glue-All
Glue stick
Small piece of cellophane or clear Mylar*
Stencil frame (as used for scrapbooking) - see example below
Two small scraps of colored paper - one to place the flowers on and the other for the card's greeting
Gold pen
Tweezers
Decorative scissors - optional
Craft knife - optional
Envelope template - optional

* Note: I like to save any sturdy pieces of cellophane that come in the mail with something or in the packaging of things I have bought; but you can purchase Mylar at any craft store.

How to Make the Pressed Flower Card

You can buy ready-made cards with the windows already cut out, as I did, or make your own.

To Make Your Own Window Cutout Card

Cut a 6 x 11-inch piece of card stock. Score in thirds and fold. The left flap will overlap the right so that the card opens as a book does. Cut out a small square on the right flap with a craft knife and a stencil or template. On the left flap cut out a ¼-inch larger square in exactly the same place so that when the card is closed you'll see the inner square showing through the front one with a ¼-inch "mat" to frame it. This will give you a smaller size card than the one used here but just as lovely. Make an envelope to fit your card using the template below. Adjust to size as needed.

Use tweezers to pick up the first flower, put a tiny dab of white glue on the back and lay it down on a square of colored paper. Continue to do this until you have the look you want. Only a couple of small flowers are needed for this project. Let dry.

Cut a square of cellophane or Mylar to fit over the paper with the flowers. Glue the piece of Mylar to the inside of the first window you cut (the smaller window on the right flap). Then glue the colored paper with the flowers underneath the Mylar so the flowers are showing through.