Pressed flower craft consists of drying flower petals and leaves in a flower press to flatten and exclude light and moisture. Pressing flowers makes them appear flat, and often there is a change in color, ranging from faded colors to a greater intensity of vibrant colors.
The pressed flowers and leaves are then used for a variety of craft projects. They are often mounted on special paper, such as handmade paper, Ingres paper, Japanese paper, or paper decorated by marbling. With meticulous attention to detail each leaf and flower is glued onto a precise location. With a creative approach to the use of materials, a leaf becomes a tree and petals form mountains.
Washes of watercolor painting are sometimes applied to the backing paper before the pressed material is attached to it. It is also popular to mount pressed material on fabrics, such as velvet, silk, linen or cotton.
Petals and leaves can also be applied to wood furnishings using the technique of Decoupage.
The craft gained popularity in the Victorian era and has experienced a revival in the last 30 years or so. The Japanese use pressed plants to create Oshibana Art. Many books and websites with pictures and instructions have been published on the subject.
Further reading
Burkhart, W. Eugene, Jr. Pressed Flower Art: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2008.
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