The seasons are changing here in Oregon. The mornings are cooler, the days are getting shorter, and even though fall is my favorite time of year, I’m never quite ready to say goodbye to summer. I always want to hold onto the flowers, greenery, and long days outside just a little longer.
If you follow my author page on Instagram or Facebook, you know I’ve gone a little nuts with craft projects lately–but not everything requires expensive laser cutters or well-stocked craft rooms. Here are two easy projects I’ve done recently—one that preserves some of summer’s flowers and leaves, and another that looks ahead to Christmas. And what I love about these is that they hold onto a little bit of the outdoors so I can enjoy them all year!
(Former park ranger reminder: gather from your own yard or places where you have permission. Leave flowers and greenery where they belong in parks and other protected areas!)
Pressed-Flower Bookmarks
I love the look of pressed flowers, but I’m not patient enough to wait weeks for them to dry inside a book. Thankfully, the microwave makes the process much faster!
I snipped small flowers and leaves, arranged them between layers of paper towels, and placed a heavy microwave-safe casserole dish on top to keep everything flat. Then I microwaved them in short bursts on low power, checking frequently, until the plants were dry. Go slowly with this step. Different plants contain different amounts of moisture, and the paper towels and dish can get quite hot. Evergreen sprigs contain oils and resins that can spark, so I recommend avoiding those.
Once everything cooled, I gave the flowers and leaves a light coating of UV-resistant clear acrylic spray. It won’t preserve those beautiful colors forever, but it can offer some protection and help slow fading.
Then came the fun part: deciding what to make!
You could use some ModPodge to decoupage your pressed treasures onto wood ornaments, coasters, picture frames, boxes, or other projects. I chose to make bookmarks using self-adhesive laminating sheets.
I arranged my flowers and leaves on one sticky sheet, carefully placed another over the top, pressed everything together, and trimmed the edges. That’s it!
Now I have a little piece of summer to tuck inside whatever book I’m reading.
If you don’t want to bother with drying your own, you can pick up pressed flowers at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Amazon.
A Little Evergreen in the Snow
My second project looks ahead to Christmas and is even easier.
I snipped a few small pieces of greenery and gave them a light coating of matte acrylic spray. Once they were completely dry, I tucked them inside a clear fillable ornament and added a little artificial snow. I think I bought my ornaments on clearance at Michaels last year, but you can find them at most craft stores and on Amazon. I believe I got the artificial snow (polystyrene beads) at Dollar Tree, but they’re similar to these on Amazon. I think the project might look even better if you used cotton batting, plastic snowflake confetti, or even rock salt!
Add a pretty ribbon or string, and suddenly you have a tiny evergreen branch nestled in the snow!
You could experiment with different types of greenery or other natural elements. Just make sure anything you put inside is clean and thoroughly dry. We’re making Christmas ornaments, not terrariums. 😉
A Little Piece of the Outdoors
I think that’s what I enjoy most about nature crafts. Something as simple as a leaf, flower, or sprig of greenery can become a keepsake—a little reminder of time spent outdoors.
And as the seasons change and we start spending more time inside, I rather like having a few pieces of the outside come in with me.
Happy Crafting (and reading!)
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