Wednesday 5 September 2012

Pressed Flowers: Reminders of Summer


As a child I remember my nan showing me how to press flowers. We would carefully place them between sheets of newspaper then stack a huge pile of books on top before I had to practice that quality which children find so difficult: patience.

After two weeks I would be able to go and unveil the final result; papery, delicate works of art, nature preserved for ever more. 


I've been doing a lot of walking in overgrown woodland this summer on my adventures with Beatrix, and it occurred to me that perhaps it was time to have another go at flower pressing. I really love the idea of being able to pick a piece of summer 2012, preserve it, and then keep it forever, and it will never wilt and die. 


I used the same heavy stack of encyclopedias as all those years ago, made my makeshift flower press, and attempted to get on with other creative projects for the next fortnight while I waited.


One of the flowers emerged looking like a miniature bent blossom tree, so I popped it inside my sketch book ready to make it into just that. The rest I used to make my first ever smash book page. (More on this new pursuit soon!)


Sticking such precise and perfect specimens of nature in a haphazard way somehow seemed really satisfying,  and helps to give the overall impression of a chaotic bouquet on the page. I haven't finished the page yet, but I'm already enjoying being able to look at and touch a piece of the summer, created in the summer, and caught in a single moment in time for ever more. 


(My new washi tape was great fun too!)



Do you have any childhood crafts or hobbies you'd like to revisit now? I'm considering starting a ladybird farm next!




16 comments:

  1. It looks lovely, intrigued about the Smash book.

    I used to make "perfume" out of rose petals, I'd love to try something like that now, hopefully it would smell much nicer though. ;-)

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    1. Thanks Rachel. Oh I used to make rose petal perfume too, no one in my family was safe, even the chaps! I saw a blog post on making your own perfume yesterday, and it reminded me of those days.

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  2. Ooh this post has made me feel very nostalgic! I used to love pressing wildflowers as a child. I had a beautiful flower press that you tightened up every few days for a couple of weeks. Loving the use of the washi tape too. Another craft I used to love was making wool Pom Poms and using one of those French knitting dollies :)
    Victoria xx

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    1. Ah you had an actual real flower press! Impressive. I also used to make pom poms, I think I made Easter chicks with mine. I'd love to know what you did with your french knitting, as I only ever made woolly worms! I still have my knitting dolly though so perhaps I should come up with a more creative use. x

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  3. I don't remember a lot of crafts... I know I've did them, but I just can't remember! I have never thought to press flowers, but I have dried some previously. I would really like to make my own cards if I could find the time (I hate saying that.) Really good family friends in London make their own cards and I just love them. & I must look into this washi tape. xx

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    1. I always want to make cards but then don't seem to come up with very imaginative ideas for them! http://claireabellemakes.com is the expert for washi tape! x

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  4. I love pressed flowers! Used to do this all the time as a kid. I like your selection very much and of course the washi tape is just perfect.

    :-)

    xx

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    1. Thanks Claire, pressed flowers need bringing into the 21st century! x

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  5. Ooh, lovely! I used to press flowers when I was little too but had forgotten all about it. I'm pretty sure there is an antique flower press in my parent's loft too which is crying out for me to rescue it x

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    1. Oooh yes, you could give it a splendid new home :) x

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  6. Aw how lovely, really like this blog post. I used to press flowers in a little 'proper' flower press when I was little, I used to love that thing, I wonder where it is... (goes hunting...)x

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    1. All these proper flower presses, how equipped everyone seems to be! Mind you, one of those takes up a lot less space than my great big stack of encyclopedias! x

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  7. you have such a lovely blog , ı love pressed flowers :)
    I'll be happy if you check out my blog too =)

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  8. what a lovely idea:-)

    thanks for letting us see:-)

    rebekah:-)

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  9. a lovely idea, to save a bit of summer:-)

    thanks for letting us see:-)

    rebekah:-)

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