Making and Using a Flower Press by Deborah Tukua

Author:Deborah Tukua
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 1999-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Ideas for Theme Place Mats

Nature-walk place mats. Take the family or friends on a nature walk, collecting materials to press. Allow each participant to press his or her own botanicals on a separate sheet within the flower press; write the artist’s name on the paper. Once the drying is complete, remove the materials from the press and allow each person time to come up with a nice design for the place mat. After the gluing is done, use a marker or calligraphy pen to write spring, summer, winter, or autumn in the lower right-hand corner, along with the artist’s name, if you wish. If you’d like the mat to be an educational tool, add the plant name near each item on the fabric backing.

Twin turkey handprints. You will need two additional tools for this project: a black permanent marker and an inked stamp pad, preferably red. This pressed-leaf project is a favorite of young children. Press a child’s left hand against the inked pad. Then lay the hand flat against the muslin and press to make a clear imprint. The thumb should imprint at the center of the paper. Repeat with the right hand. After the ink has been washed off the hands and put away, select long, slender pressed leaves such as those found on sumac, pecan, hickory, and walnut trees. Position them between each finger of the handprint. (Try to select leaves that are similar in length to the child’s fingers.) These will serve as the turkey’s back feathers. Place a drop or two of glue on the back of each leaf and glue into the arranged position. Place a group of leaves (about three) in a cluster pointing downward toward the center of the hand. Glue into position. Make stem and leaf legs and feet. For the head, I use one yellow leaf cut in half to form a pointed beak, and a long slender red leaf to serve as the wattle (the bumpy skin on the turkey’s neck). Use the black marker to dot on an eye. In the bottom right-hand corner of the fabric, write the date; an older child can write his or her name. Seal according to the directions above.

Animal leaf place mats. With a little creativity and lots of different-shaped leaves, you can create many animals with leaves. Here’s one idea to get started. To make a butterfly, select two large, heart-shaped leaves and place them on your background with the points touching. Use a long, slender leaf for the body. Then select and cut thin stems, positioning them as the antennae. To add color, cut two ovals and two kidney shapes from contrasting-colored leaves and glue on top of the wings. And there you have a butterfly, all ready to glue down.

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