How to Make DIY Pressed Flower Wall Art
Last summer, I got really into pressing flowers- something I’m planning to do more of in the months ahead! It turned into a fun hobby that doubles as gorgeous art. While I keep the majority of my pressed florals in a book, I recently decided to frame some as wall art for our kitchen. They turned out so beautiful, I wanted to share the easy and cost effective process with you. If you’re looking for a fun and affordable flower project this season (that doubles as home decor), click through for my step-by-step tutorial and styling tips!
If you’re also the outdoorsy, hiking, or camping type, this is a really fun way to document your adventures, memories, and flower art also makes a unique gift. My artist friend Laurie Anne, inspired me to buy a floral press a couple years ago, and it has turned into such a beautiful and unexpected hobby. Scroll on for a peek at the process. If you’re in need of wall art, the end result is a high-end, textural aesthetic!
Supplies
Ready to dive in? Each work of art cost me only $14 to make… an extremely great price for an original designer-looking work! To create framed pressed floral artwork, you’ll need the following:
- Fresh florals
- A floral press (or heavy books)
- Archival glue
- Paint brush
- Archival mounting board or card stock
- Frame
- Mat (for a double mat look, like mine)
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler
Foraging & Collecting Florals
I typically press wildflowers from my hikes or camping trips (have you seen the camper reveal?), but you could also press a flower that holds sentimental value (wedding flowers, a graduation rose, a bloom from a memorial service, a celebratory bouquet, etc).
It’s best to find different sizes, fresh flowers (that haven’t started to wilt), flowers with different textures, tiny or small flowers (for filling negative space), and be sure to experiment with different type of flowers. The only caveat? You have to use real flowers and greenery… faux florals won’t work for this project. Anything else is fair game- get outside and have some fun!
Floral Presses
Floral presses are an easy way to facilitate this hobby, but books also work. Before I bought my inexpensive press from Amazon, I was just sandwiching florals between paper inside of a heavy book. If I needed more weight, I’d stack more books on top of the one that contained my florals.
Now, I use my press. It’s lightweight, easy to hike with, and the velcro straps are simple to use. It’s nothing special, but it does a great job. I typically leave my florals in the press for a week or two.
Composition
Part of the fun of pressing florals is arranging them. I use a variety of paper sizes, and composing my stems is always my favorite part of the process. Longer stems create more negative space, larger blooms fill more of the page, and leafy specimens create lovely texture. My biggest piece of advice for composing your floral art is to play around with it. Press blooms on their side, but also try them facing upward. Experiment with symmetry, negative space, and filling the entire page. It all depends on the look you’re going for. Personally, I love the specimen look- with lots of negative space.
I always write a note in the corner of each floral paper. I’ll often record the date, the flower type, and where the flower was picked or foraged. Sometimes I’ll also write a note on the backside… memories from the trip or hike, who I was with, what we encountered, the weather, etc. This step isn’t necessary, but it’s a fun way to record memories and I think it makes the artwork feel more intimate.
Framing
The easiest way to set and frame your dried flowers is with an archival adhesive. Take the dry flowers, and gently paint the backside with your glue. Position them with tweezers onto your paper in your preferred composition.
Allow it to dry completely, then continue to mat, and frame the florals. I was looking for larger artwork, so I used a double mat to increase the size. This is an easy hack for adding dimension and scaling up the size.
Double matting is another great way to create a custom look on a budget. The frame cost me $12 and the mat was only $2, so it felt worth it to size up. I’m really happy with how they turned out!
Styling Ideas
There are many different ways to style pressed wildflower art, but I was looking to insert a splash of summer and a pop of color into our kitchen for the season ahead. Never underestimate the power of seasonal art shuffling, friends! Here are some other ways and ideas for styling pressed floral art:
- An entire gallery wall of flowers
- A pair of florals stacked in a hall
- A single work installed beneath a gallery light
- Leaned on a mantel
- Styled into built-ins or shelving
- Installed against tile (in a kitchen or bath)
- Leaned on a floating shelf
- Installed in a kids room or nursery
FAQ
I’m pretty spontaneous about it! If I see something pretty, I’ll reach down and break the stem. If I need to be more careful with a delicate or tough flower, I’ll use a little pocket knife. Just make sure you’re well versed on where you’re allowed to forage for flowers and what is poisonous.
Make sure you use archival glue, sealer or varnish, and glass if you’re concerned about installing them in direct sun. Like any work of art, the sun can do damage over time. If you’d like to keep them looking nice for years to come, paying a little extra for archival quality products usually worth it for sunny spaces.
Related
Looking for more artwork and home decor ideas? I’m going to link some of my favorites for you below!
- Timeless Neutral Gallery Wall Picks
- Custom Framing Art Tips, Cost, and Frame Selection Ideas
- How to Turn Inexpensive Framed Art Into Custom Artwork
- 15 Designer Gallery Wall Combinations
- Creating Your Own Photographic Art
- Designer Trick : Artwork Installation
- Textile Graphic Art DIY
I hope you enjoyed this post! I’ve been in a summer mood lately, and this quick & creative project was good for the soul. Please let me know if you have any questions or decide to give it a try! It would be a fun project to do with kids, too.
