If you're new to the world of pressed flowers, don't feel intimidated -- working with pressed flowers can be a lot easier and more enjoyable than you think!

One of the most frequent questions we're asked goes something like this: "How do I glue my pressed flowers? I'm new to this and I'm afraid to damage them!" Yes, pressed flowers are delicate and need to be handled with care, but with the right technique and just a little bit of practice, you'll soon discover just how easy it is to use pressed flowers in your pictures, cards, invitations, and anything else your imagination conceives.

So to help you get started, we've come up with a short introductory "how to" guide. We know many of our readers are not full-time crafters or artists, so we don't expect you to have a room full of expensive supplies and equipment. Our goal is to describe a simple, easy-to-follow method that uses only commonly available materials and supplies that you can find at home or any local craft store.

So let's get started!

Materials Required

• Toothpicks
• Pair of tweezers (optional but very helpful)
• Wood glue (e.g., Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Glue)
• Shallow dish or container to hold the glue
• Paper/card/invitation/etc that you want to attach the flowers to (in this article we assume the flowers will be attached to some kind of paper since this is very common)
• And of course, your pressed flowers!

Step 1

Arrange the pressed flowers on the paper, but do not glue anything. If your design has multiple layers of flowers, arrange the flowers one layer at a time, starting with the bottom layer. Arranging the flowers should always be the first step because no changes can be made once the flowers are glued.




Step 2

Pour a small amount of glue into a shallow dish or container for easy access.


Step 3

In this step, you will start gluing the flowers, starting with the flowers on the bottom layer of the arrangement. Dip one end of a clean toothpick into the glue, and use the toothpick to apply a small amount of glue on one side of the pressed flower. It is very important to use as little glue as possible. Simply place little "dots" of glue on various parts of the flower. Try to distribute the glue evenly to help ensure a firm hold and prevent any petals or fragments from coming loose later. Use tweezers when handling the flowers.



Promptly continue with Step 4 so that the glue does not dry prematurely.

Step 4

Turn the pressed flower over so that the glue is facing down and carefully place the flower on the paper. Avoid moving or adjusting the flower once it is already placed.





Step 5

Apply a slight amount of pressure on the pressed flower and hold for a few seconds. Then go back to Step 3 and repeat the procedure until all of the flowers have been glued.

Note: once all of the flowers are glued, be sure to allow time for the glue to dry completely (it may take a few minutes or a few hours, depending on the amount and type of glue used).

And that's all there is to it! Not too difficult at all, don't you think? If this is your first time, you may want to practice with some simple designs first just to get a feel for it. Once you feel comfortable working with this procedure, feel free to experiment with different types of paper, flowers, and gluing methods. Before you know it you'll be an expert pressed flower artist yourself!

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