How to Make a DIY Flower-Pressed Greeting Card

Creating a DIY flower-pressed greeting card is a simple and creative way to add a personal touch to your greetings. Pressed flowers offer a natural, elegant aesthetic that can be used for any occasion. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make your own flower-pressed greeting card.

Materials You’ll Need:

• Fresh flowers (choose flat flowers like pansies, violets, or daisies)

• A flower press (or heavy books)

• Cardstock or blank greeting cards

• Tweezers

• Glue or adhesive

• Scissors

• Pencil (optional, for outlining)

• Decorative elements (optional: ribbons, stickers, markers, etc.)

Step 1: Select and Prepare Your Flowers

Choose flowers that are flat and small enough to fit on your greeting card. Delicate flowers like pansies, violets, or daisies work particularly well. You can pick flowers from your garden or purchase them from a florist. Make sure to pick them early in the morning when the flowers are fresh, and avoid any with imperfections.

Once you’ve picked your flowers, you’ll need to press them. To do this, lay them between sheets of parchment or wax paper to prevent them from sticking to anything. If you have a flower press, place your flowers inside it. If not, you can also use heavy books to press the flowers flat. Make sure they are placed in a way that they don’t overlap too much. Leave the flowers in the press or books for about 7-10 days, allowing them to dry out completely. This will make them brittle and delicate, so handle with care once they’re ready to use.

Step 2: Prepare the Greeting Card Base

While waiting for your flowers to press, you can prepare the cardstock for the greeting card. Choose a sturdy cardstock or blank greeting card to create the base. If you want a folded card, use a larger piece of cardstock (about 8.5″ x 5.5″), then fold it in half to create a 4.25″ x 5.5″ card.

If you’d like to decorate your card with some sketches or outlines before placing the flowers, use a pencil to lightly sketch out where you want the flowers to be arranged. This can help you with spacing and balance.

Step 3: Arrange the Pressed Flowers

Once your flowers are fully pressed and dried, carefully remove them from the flower press or books using tweezers. They can be very delicate, so take your time and be gentle when handling them.

Arrange your pressed flowers on the card’s front, ensuring they are positioned how you like. You might prefer to place them in the center, as a border, or in a more abstract design. Feel free to use additional decorative elements like dried leaves, tiny twigs, or other natural embellishments if you want to enhance the floral theme.

Step 4: Adhere the Flowers

Once you’re happy with the arrangement, use a small amount of glue or adhesive to attach the pressed flowers to the card. Apply the glue gently to avoid getting it on the petals. A glue stick or liquid glue works best for this; just a small amount will do, as too much can make the flowers soggy. Use tweezers to carefully place the flowers onto the card. Press down lightly to ensure they stick, but be careful not to crush them.

If you’re using more delicate flowers, it might help to press down on them for a few seconds to make sure they’re securely attached. You can also use clear adhesive dots, especially if you want the flowers to have a slightly raised effect.

Step 5: Add Personal Touches

To make the card even more personalized, you can add handwritten messages inside the card. Use colorful pens or markers to write a special note, poem, or greeting. You can also decorate the outside of the card with other elements like ribbons, small stickers, or glitter to add extra flair.

If you’d like, you can draw a border around the flowers or add a light sketch to complement the floral design. This is a great way to make the card your own.

Step 6: Let the Card Dry

After placing all the elements on the card, let it dry for a couple of hours to ensure everything is securely attached. If you’ve used liquid glue, it’s especially important to give the card time to dry before handling it.

Step 7: Final Touches

Once the card is dry, review it to see if any final touches are needed. You can trim the edges if you’d like to make the card appear more polished. For example, cutting the edges into a rounded shape or a decorative edge with craft scissors can make the card stand out.

Now, your DIY flower-pressed greeting card is ready to be gifted! Whether for a birthday, anniversary, or just to brighten someone’s day, this handmade creation will surely be appreciated for its unique charm and thoughtful design.

Tips for Success:

• Pressing the Flowers: If you don’t have a flower press, you can create a makeshift one by placing flowers between two sheets of wax paper and putting them under a heavy book for several days. You can also use an iron (on low heat with a piece of parchment paper in between) to speed up the drying process, but be cautious not to burn the flowers.

• Flower Selection: Opt for flowers that are naturally flat, as these will press more easily and give a better result. Thicker, more three-dimensional flowers like roses are harder to press and often don’t retain their shape well.

• Color Variety: To create a more vibrant and colorful card, select flowers in a variety of colors. Mix and match for a more dynamic design, or stick to a monochromatic color scheme for a sophisticated look.

• Handling Pressed Flowers: Pressed flowers are delicate, so be sure to handle them gently. If any petals break or crumble, you can incorporate them into a design for an artistic, rustic look.

This craft is a simple yet beautiful way to show someone you care while showcasing the beauty of nature. Whether you use it for a special occasion or just to send a thoughtful note, your handmade flower-pressed greeting card will surely leave a lasting impression.