| You've been the lucky recipient of a lovely bouquet of | | | | care since the petals are so delicate. |
| fresh flowers and have enjoyed their beauty all week, | | | | Once the flowers are pressed, you can use them for |
| but you know they're going to begin wilting any day | | | | all sorts of projects including stationary, bookplates, |
| now. Don't despair--you don't have to toss your lovely | | | | stickers and more. You can press just about any kind |
| blooms in the garbage just because they're slowly | | | | of flower but daisies, roses and orchids work |
| fading. | | | | especially well. |
| There are plenty of ways you can preserve your | | | | Making your own stickers with the flowers is one of |
| beautiful blossoms, including drying and pressing the | | | | the easiest pressed flower crafts of all! They are |
| flowers. | | | | beautiful and can be used on gift cards, envelopes, gift |
| Pressing flowers is super-easy. There are several | | | | tags, wrapping paper--anything you want! |
| different ways you can go about drying your flowers, | | | | Purchase packs of clear stickers from a crafts or |
| including pressing them in a flower press or even in the | | | | office supply store. Have your stationary supplies on |
| microwave, but the easiest is to just use some old | | | | hand since you will be using these stickers immediately. |
| books. | | | | After your flowers are dry, handle them using |
| Be sure to press your flowers while they're still upright | | | | tweezers. Use scissors to gently trim any unwanted |
| and haven't yet started to wilt. Snip the stems off your | | | | petals away from the flower first. Then you're going to |
| flowers and place the blossoms between two sheets | | | | place your stickers--with their stick sides up--on a |
| of paper--regular and wax paper both work fine. | | | | clean surface. Make sure the surface you set them on |
| Carefully place your flowers in between the pages of | | | | doesn't have any dust or dirt or else this will end up on |
| a heavy book. Telephone books, encyclopedias and | | | | your sticker! |
| dictionaries all work. You'll want to stick the flowers | | | | Using Tweezers, carefully place the bloom in the |
| somewhere in the middle of the book so that there is | | | | center of the sticker (face down) and press down |
| enough weight both above and below the flowers. | | | | gently. |
| Leave the book somewhere where it will not be | | | | Voila! You're done--now use the stickers on your |
| disturbed for two weeks. When you remove the | | | | cards and stationary to add an absolutely beautiful, |
| flowers from the book, handle them with extreme | | | | thoughtful handmade touch! |