You’ll love this easy project to make a pressed flower Valentine’s Card for a loved one. It’s also great for kids!
What could be better for this special holiday than making a pressed flower card?
With Valentines Day right around the corner, you might be looking for a simple craft project.
Of course, you can press flowers for any other occasion: birthdays, Mother’s Day, greeting cards, or any time you need some pressed flowers!
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Quick history
14th-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer is said to have started the tradition of romantic love being celebrated on February 14th.
In 18th century England, lovers began exchanging flowers, confectionery, or cards (“valentines”).
For decades now, Valentine’s Day is closely associated with the greeting card manufacturer Hallmark.
Since then, just in the United States alone, double-digit millions of dollars are spent around that holiday every year.
Now, pressing flowers dates back to early Greek and Roman times. In the 19th century, people used pressed flowers to capture and preserve the beauty of the natural world.
Luckily, my little project will cost you very little if anything. Most of the supplies you might already have in your home.
Pressed Flower Card
For this simple pressed flower card, you will need
- some flowers, ideally some that press well such as daisies, violets, single-petal roses or any flower you like
- card stock or craft paper in your favorite color (such as this)
- paper doilies (such as these or these )
- envelopes
- disappearing glue (such as this one) and scissors
- one or more of these: flower press, books, hot iron
How to press the flowers
First, you pick the nicest flowers that you’d like to press. You might have something flowering in your garden this time of year. I think it would be a very nice touch if the flowers came from your own garden. Of course, you can also buy some flowers. The fresher they look and are, the better they will press.
If using a flower press, place the flowers between two pieces of white absorbent paper. Lay them inside the flower press and screw the top down.
If you’ll be using books, make sure you don’t use a book with a lot of value, material, or sentimental. Pressing flowers can leave stains on your pages. In any event, you place the flowers between two pieces of white absorbent paper and place them inside your book. To weigh everything down, either place heavy books on top or find another very heavy object.
Let your flower press or books sit in a dry spot. Either way, it might take about 4 weeks for the flowers to be all pressed and dry.
For that reason (and because I wanted to get this post out for you), I have “finished” my flowers with a hot iron. You’ll still keep your flowers between the sheets of paper. Set the temperature to low-medium (wool/silk setting) and press for 10-15 seconds. Let them cool down and repeat until your flowers are dry and very flat.
Just make sure your hot iron is NOT set to steam. Steam adds moisture and we’re trying to get the moisture out of those flowers 😊.
How to make the card
I like to start with my envelope and make sure that my card stock or craft paper card fits nicely inside the envelope. If not already done, fold your paper in half. You may then have to trim your card with scissor or a paper cutter.
Now, that you know the size of your card, pick a doily. If they’re too big, you can always cut out shapes from them to make them fit.
It’s always more pleasing to the eye to not have your doily perfectly centered. You can move it around until you are satisfied. Then you glue the doily in place.
Next, you pick your pressed flowers or petals and arrange them in any way you like. You could use one bigger one or two smaller ones in one doily. Glue them into place.
Et voila! That’s your pressed flower Valentine’s card!!
You can also glue some ribbon to the card, add some calligraphy, or decorate it more if you like.
This can also be a nice project for children. Maybe they need to make something for their school. Or maybe they just want to send a pretty card to a lovely person.
Or, you make this for your spouse! I am sure he or she will love something handmade. And nothing says Valentines more than flowers, right?
Now, please check our my friends’ delicious and creative Valentines ideas:
- Brianne at Homemade On Our Homestead
- Rachael at Australian Working Mama
- Amanda at Cozy Tasty Home
- Misty at Our Grace Filled Journey
- Lyndsy at Treasured Oak Springs
- Kelly at The Willow Mama
- Amy at Essentially Handmade
- Jenny at Yellow Rose Jenny
- Callie at This Corbett Life
- Jersey Farmhouse Basic Collection
- Julie from This Beautiful Farm Life
- Dana from St. Martha’s Lens
- Gabrielle at Life With The Correas
- Wendy from Little House Simple Living
I love this! Another way to get some life out of fresh cut flowers.
Thank you so much for your nice comment 😊!
These are beautiful – what a lovely idea!
Thank you – and yes, they are beautiful 😌
SO cute 🙂 I need to do pressed flowers more often. The last time I did that was from our wedding bouquet flowers 🙂
Thank you! What a beautiful idea to press the flowers from your wedding bouquet! Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful Valentine idea. I love your tutorial. I remember pressing flowers with books as a kid with my cousins. 😀
Thank you and thank you for sharing 😊. Happy Valentine’s Day!
These are the sweetest! Great idea!
Thank you and Happy Valentine’s Day!
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