Make a Portable Flower Press for Your Herbarium

2009 May 23
by 5 Orange Potatoes

Here’s the perfect little flower press to carry with you whenever you go for a hike or even a walk around your own backyard. We keep one in the car too because we always come across plants which we find pretty, want to remember a special event, or can’t identify so we can bring them home and look them up.

To make one you need:
newspaper
corrugated cardboard from an old box
rubberbands (at least 3 thick rubberbands)
scissors
flowers
leaves
package tape or clear contact paper

STEPS:

1. Cut the cardboard into 3 rectangles that are 8″L x 5 1/2″W.


2. Cut the newspaper into 8″ x 5 1/2″ rectangles. These are your pressing papers.

3. Decorate the cover with stamps, flowers, and/or leaves. I used clear contact paper and packing tape to press the leaves and flowers onto the cover.

4. Gather your favorite flowers and leaves to press.

5. Place the bottom cardboard cover down first, layer a couple sheets of newspaper on top of the cardboard and place your flowers face down while smoothing them out as much as possilble. We usually write the location, date and name of the plants we are pressing onto the newspaper to keep a record of them.

6. Layer a few more sheets of newspaper on top of the first layer of flowers, then place more flowers or leaves face down onto the press.

7. Put on the middle piece of cardboard after you have about 5 layers of plants; continue to layer until you run out of flowers. Put the cardboard cover on top and put the rubberbands around the press. You can make the press as thick or thin as you want, just add more newspaper and cardboard as you go.

After a week or two, the flowers should be pressed and ready to remove. Please don’t forget the nature rule…..”if there’s more than 10 you may collect a few, less then 10 don’t be a greedy fool!” We NEVER pick any of our endangered plants and wildflowers. Enjoy!


related post

  • Share/Bookmark
33 Responses leave one →
  1. 2009 May 28
    Lauren permalink

    Great idea! We’ll definitely do this one.

  2. 2009 May 27
    Mom, M.Ed. (Jessica) permalink

    My grandmother loved to press flowers-she had a large hatbox literally filled with pressed flowers. I can still smell them even though she passed five years ago and the box was pilfered by a selfish cousin. Ho hum.

  3. 2009 May 26
    andrea the pomegranates permalink

    oh my goodness! i am in love with this, brilliant!

  4. 2009 May 26
    Julie permalink

    This is so great! Thanks for sharing the how-to.

  5. 2009 May 26
    Chrissy permalink

    Lovely, and so perfect for this time of year! I’ve shared your link at One Crafty Place. Thanks!

  6. 2009 May 25
    Rachel@oneprettything.com permalink

    This is awesome, thanks so much for sharing! I’ll be linking…and making my own too!

  7. 2009 May 25
    karen m. permalink

    Your press is so much prettier and more portable than the phone book or an encyclopedia volume. Thank you for the tutorial!

  8. 2009 May 25
    affectioknit permalink

    What a great idea!!!

  9. 2009 May 25
    Molly permalink

    I really like that idea! I’ve been contemplating pressing some flowers but hadn’t actually gotten to it yet. However, you should see my kitchen counter – trays and sheets of blossoms and petals my flowers have dropped and I am drying – it smells great!

  10. 2009 May 24
    tie-dyed doula permalink

    Thank you for this, as well as everything that you post! What will you be doing with these dried fancies?

  11. 2009 May 24
    docwitch permalink

    An excellent idea! We have a flower press, but it’s wooden and too clunky to take out with us on rambles. So this is a stroke of genius. So simple and completely perfect.

  12. 2009 May 24
    Emily permalink

    I have been enjoying your blog so much over the past couple of weeks! I currently have violets soaking in a bowl on the counter and I can’t wait to finish it later. Thank you for all your inspiration!

  13. 2009 May 24
    Sarah permalink

    This is a great idea for making a fast, easy flower press! I’ve got the stuff to make the presses on OLM’s flower press tutorial, but this is a nice, fast one to make to keep in the car. Thanks!

  14. 2009 May 24
    sarah in the woods permalink

    Very handy! We’ll have to put one of these together.

  15. 2009 May 24
    Sara permalink

    This is beautiful… I must make one.

  16. 2009 May 24
    Crunchy Christian Mom permalink

    Oh, we’re definitely making these soon! And I just bought the Spiderwick field guide for a birthday present yesterday. :)

  17. 2009 May 24
    SE'LAH... permalink

    i REALLY love your blog.

    this flower press is awesome. We bought one a few years ago but certainly, one can never have enough with all the beautiful spring flowers.

    thanks so much.

  18. 2009 May 24
    Shona permalink

    such a beautiful flower press!

  19. 2009 May 24
    Joy permalink

    What a great idea! Lisa, you are one inspiring mama! :)

  20. 2009 May 24
    Holly permalink

    What a great idea-this will be right up our alley. Thanks. Holly

  21. 2009 May 23
    Tan Family permalink

    We haven’t been able to find our flower press since our last move…now I’m inspired to make one of these with the kids instead of waiting for the old one to show up! Portable is always good on the nature hike days. Wonderful. :)

  22. 2009 May 23
    Marigold permalink

    Your blog is awesome!

  23. 2009 May 23
    Dawn permalink

    Very clever! I love this idea. :)

  24. 2009 May 23
    Rebekah Smith permalink

    this will be a wonderful addition to my portable presses!:-)

    and it’s so pretty!:-)

    thanks,

    rebekah:-)

  25. 2009 May 23
    dongdong permalink

    very cool, and pretty.

    I found out that bird on J’s blog is called “killdeer”. It is a funny bird.

  26. 2009 May 23
    Lori permalink

    what a great idea — and you did make it so pretty :^)

  27. 2009 May 23
    tamdoll permalink

    I love the portability of this & that you made it so pretty, too.

  28. 2009 May 23
    Jeannette permalink

    What a perfect idea! This will go into my bag for my bicycle tours!
    Have a wonderful weekend, Jeannette

  29. 2009 May 23
    jumbleberryjam permalink

    We’re putting together a field bag. This will be a fabulous addition to it! Thank you!! And a special thank you for your happiness for me. Joy shared is so much sweeter :-)

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. summer list of activities- outdoor monday | 5 Orange Potatoes
  2. homemademamma.com » Il libro dei fiori di Piccolo Furfante: il glicine
  3. KidStyleFile » Blog Archive » The Crafty Crow presents: Super Springtime Craft Ideas

Leave a Reply

Note: You can use basic XHTML in your comments. Your email address will never be published.

Subscribe to this comment feed via RSS

Spam Protection by WP-SpamFree

My designs and creations are made by my daughters and me. I love to share but my ideas and designs are for non-commercial use only. If you post an activity or photo from my site please give me credit and a direct link to 5 Orange Potatoes. Thank you for playing nice. :)