Pressed Flowers on Layouts?

I am absolutely crazy about daisies & sunflowers. Well, my precious husband brougt me flowers last week, "just because."

They're fading now, but are still looking nice. I thought I'd press them and possibly use them in a layout.

Good idea or no?

Would I need to do any special treatment to them before placing them on the layout?

Thanks!

ME

I've always had bad luck with real flowers on a LO. EVen though I've dried them properly, they've rotted and made my albums smell bad. Some people say coat them with modge podge to seal them, but I still wouldn't do it.

If your flowers are paper thin flattened, you can do the mod podge seal. I have very good luck with that. The problem comes when they're not flat and they will crumble.
Here's some of my examples

I Am
By Here Kitty


Sympathy
By Here Kitty

Not sure I know how to do that sealing. I recognize Mod Podge as a brand name so figure I can get it at the local craft store. But how exactly do I do a seal?

I figure I probably need to coat the back of the flowers, or maybe the paper itself, place the flowers, then coat the top? That way its sealed all the way around?

ME

Is it possible to laminate them and trim around the edges? I know xyron has laminating cartridges. That way, no smell, and no crumbling? I don't know, I've never done it before.

to seal it with mod podge, you just apply it to the surface, then stick your flowers on it how you want them. Then when that dries, you put a coat over the flowers making sure you get enough on to seal it to the surface but not so much that it's all messy.

With the seal of mod podge, no air or moisture gets to the flowers and they stay that way with no deterioration. I have a box that I altered with flowers on it and it's still in mint condition 10 years later.

Wonderful!

I'm going to take these daisy flowers, put them between wax paper, then between 2 boards and use hubby's clamps to clamp them down really tight.

Think that would work?

I have some I dried from last year that I want to use.

• MarlaE Said:

sounds to me like it would! Let us know how it turns out for ya

I have done this before and they turn out fine... I press them untill they are super thin. Then I put them under a layer of kitty litter for about a week to make sure all of the moisture is out of them. Then I seal them with Modge podge, and I have never had a problem with rotting or oder.
Hope this helps.

Marla, I have 100's of pressed flowers over that past few years! But I wouldn't pressed them between wax paper...you need a thick paper or a flower press. I use a sketch paper (stonehenge paper is great!)so that it will absorb the moisture from the flower put it under a pile of books and in a few weeks...voila! you are ready to go! I use mod podge as my "glue". A layer on the paper, place flower, when it's dry put a coat over the top making sure to "seal" the flower!
I have made greeting cards,gift tags,note cards and scrapbook pages using pressed flowers! They turned out just lovely!
Happy scrapping! I think I have a greeting card in my Gallery using pressed flowers!

Oh honey, where were you a week ago!!

I did use wax paper and they all rotted.....pretty gross!

Next time I'll use absorbant paper. Think paper towels would work? Don't really want to buy more stuff. Guess that gives hubby an "excuse" to buy me more flowers!!

ME