There is something quietly satisfying about finding a pressed pansy between the pages of an old book — a small square of summer that survived the winter. Pressed flower bookmarks are one of the easiest nature crafts to start, and you probably already own most of what you need. A few flowers, some absorbent paper, a heavy book and a little patience will get you there. What follows covers the whole process, from picking to finishing, including the small details that separate a bookmark which lasts for years from one that crumbles by autumn.
What You Will Need
Gather everything before you go out picking, so the flowers go straight into the press rather than wilting on the kitchen table while you hunt for card.
- Freshly picked flowers and small leaves, collected mid-morning on a dry day once the dew has lifted
- Blotting paper, coffee filter papers or plain newsprint — avoid printed newspaper, as the ink transfers
- Two pieces of card or thin mount board, cut a little larger than your flowers
- A heavy weight: a stack of books, a board with weights, or a proper wooden flower press
- Thick paper or card for the bookmark itself, around 250–300 gsm
- Clear self-adhesive film or laminate pouches for protection
- Tweezers, a small soft paintbrush, PVA glue, scissors, a hole punch and a length of ribbon
Choosing Flowers That Press Well
The best candidates are thin, flat and low in moisture. Anything fleshy holds water, and water means mould, browning and a disappointing result three weeks later. Colour matters too: deep blues, purples, pinks and yellows tend to hold up well, while white and pale cream flowers usually fade to a papery beige.
Reliable favourites
Pansies and violas are the classic choice for beginners because they press flat and keep their markings. Daisies, forget-me-nots, cornflowers, cosmos, buttercups, lavender and small geranium petals all work nicely. So do ferns, grasses, ivy leaves and the delicate seed heads you find along hedgerows. Pick a mixture of shapes and sizes — a bookmark with one large bloom and a few fine stems looks far better than a row of identical flowers.
Best left on the plant
Daffodils, tulips, roses and anything thick or waxy will either rot or fall apart. You can still use them, but press individual petals rather than whole heads. For a chunky flower such as a small rose, slice it cleanly in half with a sharp knife and press the halves face down. If you are picking from a garden that is not your own, ask first, and leave wild flowers where they grow.
Two Ways to Press
The traditional book method
Lay a piece of card down, cover it with blotting paper, then arrange your flowers face down with a little space between each one. Cover with a second sheet of blotting paper and the second piece of card. Slide the whole sandwich into a heavy book, or between two boards under a stack of books, and leave it somewhere dry and out of direct sun.
Two to four weeks is typical. Check after a fortnight — a flower is ready when it feels dry and papery and lifts easily without sticking. If the blotting paper feels damp at any point, swap it for a fresh sheet, otherwise you risk mould. Keep the press away from radiators, which can make petals brittle and brown.
The microwave method
For impatient afternoons, build the same sandwich but place it between two ceramic tiles or microwave-safe plates. Microwave in 30-second bursts, letting everything cool completely between each one, and check the flowers as you go. Most small blooms take a couple of minutes in total. Cool properly before lifting the top layer, as hot petals tear easily. Never put metal, or anything with a foil lining, into a microwave.
Assembling the Bookmark
- Cut your card. A standard bookmark is about 5 cm wide and 15 cm tall. A craft knife and a steel ruler give the cleanest edge, but sharp scissors are fine.
- Plan the layout first. Arrange your flowers on the card without gluing anything. Step back and look at it. Move pieces around until the balance feels right, then take a photograph on your phone so you can recreate it after glueing.
- Glue sparingly. Mix PVA with roughly the same amount of water and apply the thinnest possible layer with a small brush, or use a glue stick. Too much glue soaks through petals and leaves dark patches.
- Place with tweezers. Press each flower down gently, starting with the largest and finishing with the smallest stems. Use the brush handle to smooth any curled edges.
- Weight it. Put the bookmark under a heavy book for half an hour, or overnight if you can. This flattens the finished piece and stops it curling.
- Seal it. Cover both sides with self-adhesive film or a laminate pouch, working from the centre outwards to push out air bubbles. Trim, leaving a small border around the card.
- Finish it off. Punch a hole near the top, thread through a ribbon, and knot it. A tassel made from three or four strands looks particularly good.
Common Problems and How to Avoid Them
- Brown, faded flowers: usually picked too late in the day, or after rain. Pick dry, freshly opened blooms.
- Mould in the press: not enough absorbent paper, or a flower that was too thick. Change the blotting paper and start again with flatter specimens.
- Curling card: too much wet glue. Dilute it further, or switch to a glue stick.
- Bubbles under the film: press outwards from the centre with a soft cloth as you apply it, peeling the backing away gradually rather than all at once.
- Petals shifting: work on a tray so you can move the whole project without disturbing the layout.
Start With a Single Pansy
Your first bookmark does not need to be a masterpiece. Press one pansy and one fern frond, make a simple bookmark from them, and see how it turns out. The joy of this craft is that the materials are free and the seasons keep supplying more — forget-me-nots in May, cornflowers in July, seed heads in September. Once you have a press going, it costs nothing to add a few more flowers each week, and by next winter you will have a drawer full of small, flat summers ready to be turned into gifts.
Photo: giselavankreij / Pixabay
