As a child, I remember my first experience with flower pressing. While not remotely sophisticated, the 1980’s phonebook (for those of you who must Google it, I will not hold it against you) served as the ultimate flower press, and subsequently, a time capsule. When my Mom recently unearthed said phonebook, we discovered the history we had unknowingly made.
Neatly tucked between the pages of local business adverts and home phone numbers were my perfectly pressed four-leaf clovers. I was convinced back in 1986 that four-leaf clovers did not exist outside of the Emerald Isle. But sure enough, we would find them nestled amongst the grass the longer and more intently we sat there amongst the blades of grass on warm Summer evenings. With no urgency to be anywhere but right there in that moment, we would find ourselves succeeding en masse.
The older I get, I find myself appreciating life’s daily moments more often in all their Insta-imperfection. I can’t help but want to get even further away from the stressors inflicted upon us and by us. For me, that means being outside of my house, which in turn is outside of myself. So, I decided to revisit this ancient pastime, make my own flower presses, and share them with you!
It Has a Name – Oshibana ( 押し花 )
Oshibana is the Japanese art form of using pressed flowers and botanical materials to create a larger composition of art. Originating in the 1500s, Oshibana, which simply translates as “pressed flower,” became all the rage in Victorian-era England and the United States by the mid-to late-1800s as trade with Japan expanded.
How-To & Resources
Long before the advent of craft box stores such as Michaels and online retailers like Amazon, pressing flowers to make art, or simply a memory of a special event, didn’t require many supplies. In fact, my Mom only used paper towels in between the pages of her 500-page, paperback phonebook. I find people online debating the virtues of different types of cardboard (and I get it; I don’t want to see my flower petals indented with ridges either) but if we can just stop constantly seeking the Insta-perfect, I contemplate how much happier we would all be.
With that said, we have something pressin’ to attend to, lol;)
Where to Start
Option A – No Effort Required
If you’re the type of person who is ready to hit the ground running, then allow me to take ALL the effort out of this process for you! I currently have a 3×4″ pocket-sized and personalized flower press available in my Etsy Shop.
Option B – Some Effort Required
If you’d like to get started today using supplies already available in your home, then simply follow these easy steps.
Here are the supplies you’ll need:
- One thick book /OR/ a pile of books
- Newspaper /OR/ watercolor or botanical blotting paper
- Parchment Paper (NOT Wax Paper; they are different)
- Freshly picked flowers
- Scissors /OR/ garden clippers
To get the best results, snip flower petal samples at the height of their color, which is typically shortly after they’ve bloomed. Once you have one or many flowers, leaves, or stems to press, create a sandwich of newspaper-parchment-(insert flowers here)-parchment-newspaper.
Option C – More Effort Required
Maybe you would like to be part of the overall DIY process. In that case, I also offer an SVG download within my Etsy shop to make your own flower press! And if you sign up for my occasional newsletter, I’ll send you a coupon to purchase this laser engraving and cut SVG file for 50% off:) –> Coming Soon!
After you create your own wooden press, you’ll need to also gather the following:
- Newspaper /OR/ watercolor or botanical blotting paper
- Parchment Paper (NOT Wax Paper; they are different)
- Freshly picked flowers
- Scissors /OR/ garden clippers
Option D – Microwave Your Flowers? Who Knew?!
For the innovators and adventurers in my crew, did you know you can accelerate the flower-pressing process? Yup, they make something for that, it’s called a microwave flower press. So just like those pick-the-end-to-your-own adventure books, you have a lot of choices in getting your flowers from full to flat in no time. In future installments, I hope to take my own pressed flowers and share resin-creations with you including coasters and jewelry!
Be Sure to Share!
I want to see what YOU create so please be sure to share by tagging @HollyHillsLane on Instagram and Facebook or send me a DM.
For Your Additional Reading Enjoyment
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/t-magazine/pressing-flowers-how-to-crafting.html6