Easy DIY Summer Flower Cards
Whenever someone purchases a literary gift set and includes a gift message, I always attach a handwritten card to their order. These lovely greeting cards are a super easy DIY project that's perfect for the summer. The material list is simple:
- Pressed flowers
- Paper / Cardstock
- Clear craft glue (like E6000 Plus)
- Matchsticks or toothpicks
Making your own pressed flowers
I received a beautiful bouquet a year ago and decided on a whim to press the flowers it instead of throwing them out when they started to droop. Wildflowers, leaves and ferns are great too, but make sure that they are free from spots and blemishes. Flowers with flat blooms (daisies, violets) are easiest to press. Because I had a few thicker flowers, I picked off all the petals and pressed them individually.
Put your flowers, petals or leaves between porous paper that can absorb moisture. They should not overlap. I used brown kraft paper, but you can also use newspaper. Make sure you use several layers of paper to keep the moisture from bleeding through.
Place your sheet(s) of paper underneath a stack of heavy books and leave them for 10-14 days. Once your flowers are dry, handle them carefully as they will be very fragile. I kept mine in a paper envelope for a year before I finally did this project.
Making the cards
You can use any kind of paper for this project, but it should ideally be thicker than normal printing paper. Normal printing paper is around 80 gsm (gsm = gram per square meter and indicates the weight/thickness). I used 150 gsm cotton rag paper from Fabulous Fancy Pants. It has a lovely texture and really adds to the rustic look of the cards. I tore the paper into the size I wanted to keep the edges rough.
Use a matchstick or toothpick to dab a little bit of glue on your flowers. With strong craft clue, you don't need a lot - add it to 2-3 different areas and it should be enough to make your flowers stick. Press the flower down on the card and hold for a few seconds and you're done.
For more intricate designs, I recommend laying out the flowers/petals on the card first to make sure everything fits before you apply the glue.
Happy with the result? Tag @literarylipbalms on Instagram!