Adorn your stationery and greetings with real pressed flowers

What you need...

• Card: purple, lilac
  
• Paper, white
  
• Skeleton leaves
  
• Flowers
  
• Kitchen towel
  
• Liquidiser
  
• Papermaking frame and deckle
  
• Couching cloths
  
• Acrylic paint
  
• Notebooks
  
• Embellishments
  
• Adhesives

instructions

1. Handmade Paper - 1 Add torn kitchen towel, tissues and paper into a bucket. Leave to soak in warm water for an hour, then liquidise a little of the mixture at a time. Tip the pulp into a plastic tray with high sides and top up with more water.
   
   2 Slide the frame and deckle into the tray. Lift out and ensure the pulp is evenly distributed. Allow to drain for a few minutes, then position the skeleton leaves on top. Place on an old towel, then press with a sponge to remove excess water. Remove the deckle, then put the couching cloth on top and turn over onto a dry towel. With the couching cloth on top, roll out and leave to dry

2. Pressed Flowers - 1 Fold a sheet of paper in half and flatten flowers of your choosing onto one side. Fold over and sandwich between a double thickness of kitchen towel.
   
   2 Place in the microwave and put a plate on top. Dry the flowers out on a medium heat for 30 seconds until completely dry and rigid. Repeat until you have the required result.

3. Portrait Card - 1 Trim a purple blank, 10cm x 14cm. Cut lilac card, 9cm x 13cm, and die-cut a 5cm x 9cm window in the centre of the lilac layer. Tape handmade paper over the back of the window and fix the lilac rectangle centrally on the front of the blank.
   
   2 Using decoupage glue, fix a variety of dried flowers diagonally across the card, with leaves around the edge. Add a lilac bow to finish.

4. Large Notebook - 1 Create handmade paper following the previous instructions and include large skeleton leaves in the mixture. Trim the paper to 15cm x 24cm for an A5 notebook. Cover the spine with purple acrylic paint and leave to dry.
   
   2 Fix double-sided tape down the painted edge of the spine and the three other edges. Press the paper on top, folding it neatly round the sides. Repeat on the back of the book.
   
   3 If the skeleton leaves are lifting, seal with a thin coat of decoupage glue and leave to dry. Fix the pressed flowers of your choice in place. Brush a thin coat of adhesive over the surface to give a smooth, sealed finish.
   
   A6 Notebook
   Make handmade paper with smaller skeleton leaves, then trim to 11cm x 17cm. Repeat the instructions for the larger notebook. Embellish with adhesive gems to finish.

5. Square Card - 1 Make a lilac blank, 13cm square. Cut purple card, 12cm square, and make a 6cm square window in the centre. Tape handmade paper to cover the back of the window and secure the purple square centrally on the front of the lilac blank.
   
   2 Arrange a variety of dried flowers in place and secure a light application of decoupage glue. Finish with a length of ribbon tied in a bow on the front of the card.