I was an 80s child. I feel blessed to be able to say this because we did some of the most adventurous crazy things when we were young, but also some fun and crafty things like pressing wildflowers we picked in fields near our house.
Before I was even a teenagers my parents let my siblings and I roam the neighborhood which was back up by some fields and woods. I remember finding a fawn that had been stowed away behind a huge rock until mama deer returned. I was a good kid, but horses were my dream and I would trespass into the neighbors yard to see if I was brave enough to mount one of their ponies without a saddle...only I never did. We played in creeks with fish and snakes, jumped in puddles during lightning storms. We lived on the edge.
Rediscovering the Art of Pressing Flowers
But surely you clicked on this post to find out how to use a microwave flower press. My mother would help us when we were young press the flowers we picked from our many adventures running around the neighborhood. We loved using books to press flowers and waiting for them to dry out didn't seem like a chore when we literally would spend our time whittling sticks or finding rocks for our rock collections.
The Magic of Microwave Flower Pressing
Now though I am buys and I want pressed flowers today! i don't want to wait! Phew! I am astonished that the microwave flower press works SO well!
Pressing Wildflowers with a Microwave Press
- Pick your wildflowers
- Carefully place them between the fabric sheets
- Close up the press and secure the handles
- Microwave on high for 30 seconds
- Take press out of the microwave, open it and allow the inside to cool (this step is important to not over dry your flowers to fast and have them krinkle)
- Close up the press and microwave on high an additional 15 seconds
That's it! Your flowers are ready! I like to keep mine in a regular press (or think book) till I am ready to use them for my projects.
Do this with your kids! It's an amazing project and they will remember it forever. There are also bookmarks you can make with acrylic blanks. I'll be posting about this soon. Happy crafting! And remember to make it pretty. :)