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 Use watercolor or other rough surface paper when
pounding on paper. Purchase ready to dye (RTD) or prepared for dying
(PFD) fabric or prepare the fabric yourself. You’ll find supplies
and directions at most craft stores.
Prepare a space for pounding flowers onto paper or fabric. A large
cutting board or piece of wood will protect the furniture below. Or
better yet move this project outside onto the sidewalk or other
surface that can’t be damaged by the pounding.
Cover the surface with wax paper and secure with masking tape to
prevent the flower color from soaking through onto the cutting
board. Cut the fabric to size and secure it or the paper to the
board with masking tape.
Gather a few of your favorite leaves and flowers. You will have
great results from thin brightly colored petals and leaves. Consider
starting with rose, daisy, geranium, petunia, and pansy petals
although any flowers and leaves can work. Remove or reduce the size
of the large center of coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and similar
blooms so they lay flat on the fabric. Or remove the petals, discard
the center, and arrange as desired.
Remove any stems, sepals, or other plant parts you do not want to
transfer. Then place the desired parts face down on the paper or
fabric.
Once your design is set, cover with several layers of paper towel or
another sheet of watercolor paper. Taping leaves and petals in place
on fabric helps reduce the risk of petals moving during the pounding
process.
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Gently tap the leaves and flowers in place using the
flat side of a hammer. Next, evenly hammer from one side of the
design to the other, making sure to hit every part of each plant.
Lift the paper covering and remove the crushed flowers and leaves
from the paper along with the tape from the fabric. Allow your
design to dry and carefully brush off any remaining plant pieces.
Set the design on fabric using an iron set on the hottest setting
without steam. This sets the colors but will not make it washable.
Preserve the bright colors of your works of art on paper with a UV
protective acrylic spray. Be sure to read and follow label
directions and apply in a well-ventilated area.
Pounding flowers is a fun project for all ages. It is a simple way
to transfer a plant’s natural dye onto paper or fabric to create
works of art, greeting cards and more. For more gardening projects
visit MelindaMyers.com.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including
the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and
Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow
Anything” DVD instant video and DVD series and the nationally
syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a
columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and
her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com] |
