12 Stunning Pressed Flower Art Projects for Beginners

This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. I write the content on this website with some help from AI.

My mother used to press flowers from her garden between the pages of her Bible. I found them after she passed. Pansies and black-eyed Susans, flattened and faded to the most beautiful soft colors you’ve ever seen.

That is when I understood that pressed flower art is not a hobby. It is a way of keeping things.

I started pressing flowers about two years ago, and I have not stopped. Let me show you what I have learned.

Why Pressed Flower Art Is Perfect for Women Our Age

There is something wonderfully unhurried about this craft. You collect flowers. You press them. You wait. You do not need to rush. The slowness is part of the point.

And the supplies are minimal. A flower press or a heavy book, some art paper, and whatever is growing in your yard or sitting in a vase in your kitchen.

What You Need to Get Started

A flower press kit from Amazon is the easiest way to start. You can also use heavy books with absorbent paper between the pages. Both methods work.

After pressing, you will want acid-free art paper or watercolor paper for mounting. Small frames and a bottle of UV resin if you plan to make jewelry or coasters.

12 Pressed Flower Art Projects Worth Trying

1. Framed Botanical Print: Arrange pressed flowers on art paper and place in a simple frame. This is the most classic project, and it looks genuinely museum-quality when done well.

2. Handmade Greeting Cards: Glue pressed flowers to cardstock to make birthday or thank-you cards. People treasure these. I promise you nobody throws them away.

3. Bookmarks Laminate pressed flowers between two layers of clear contact paper. Punch a hole at the top and add a ribbon. These make wonderful gifts.

4. Resin Coasters Press flowers into UV resin or two-part resin to make gorgeous coasters. There is a learning curve, but the results are extraordinary.

5. Flower Press Wall Collage: Frame a collection of pressed specimens from the same garden or the same walk. Label them if you want the botanical feel. This looks stunning in a hallway.

6. Candle Decorating Press flowers onto pillar candles using a heat tool or wax medium. The flowers show through the wax in a gorgeous translucent way.

7. Tray Liner: Arrange pressed flowers under a piece of glass in a wooden tray. Instant heirloom.

8. Gift Wrap Accent: Use a pressed flower as a topper on a wrapped gift instead of a bow. Far more beautiful and far more meaningful.

9. Resin Jewelry Cast pressed flowers in resin pendants and earring molds. This is my personal favorite project. I wear a pendant with a violet from Wendy’s garden every time I go out.

10. Botanical Journal Cover Decoupage pressed flowers onto the cover of a plain journal. Use Mod Podge for a smooth finish and seal with a coat of clear varnish.

11. Glass Frame Double Layer Layer pressed flowers between two pieces of glass in a clip frame and hang in a window where the light comes through. This is the most breathtaking of all the projects I have tried.

12. Window Hanging Arrange pressed flowers between two sheets of contact paper and hang in a sunny window. The light transforms them into something that looks like stained glass. Simple and completely magical.

The Secret to Beautiful Pressed Flowers

Press flowers at their peak. Not fully opened, not wilting. The day they look their best is the day to press them.

Wildflowers press beautifully. So do pansies, violets, larkspur, and Queen Anne’s lace. Thick flowers like roses need to be pressed as individual petals.

And if you want to take care of yourself as carefully as you take care of your flowers, start with your skin. Check out my post on face serum for women over 70 for some things I have found genuinely worth knowing.