Artistic Design

Artistic Design plays a large role in the work of the Winchester-Clarke Garden Club - from individual private efforts, to club initiatives in meetings, in special Holiday events and in our work with tour homes during Historic Garden Week. See some of our work and fun from years past.

How to Press Flowers…in a Book You will need absorbent paper and a heavy book. Pigments in the petals, stems, and leaves may stain the paper, so if the book is valuable, protect the pages with an extra layer of paper on each side of the plants being pressed.

There are two ways to press using this technique: Start by placing the flowers between two layers of printer paper, then place heavy books on top. Or place the flowers between the pages of the book itself. Weigh down the top of the book with a brick or other heavy item Let the flowers dry for a week before checking on them. Replace the absorbent material as necessary. Allow two to three weeks for complete drying.

Shortcut - Like the book method, start by pressing the flowers between two pieces of absorbent paper. Heat your iron to a low setting. Prepare the flower for pressing by placing it between two sheets of absorbent paper. Flatten the flower with a heavy book first, then place the paper and flowers on your ironing board and press the warm iron on top of the upper sheet of paper for 10 to 15 seconds (do not steam or move iron). Wait for the paper to cool for another 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat. Very carefully lift the paper to see if the flower is stiff and dry.