- Fresh flowers and leaves of your choice
- Watercolour, printmaking, or other absorbent paper
- Hammer, mallet, baren - not too heavy
- A solid, non-breakable, surface to work on
- Glycerine (optional)
Do:
- Place your flowers, petals, and leaves as you choose.
- Overlapping them a little can help create a more organic look.
- You may choose to place a scrap sheet over the arrangement before you begin to work, but it's not required.
- Use a hammer, mallet, or baren to gently pound the flowers/leaves.
- Apply enough pressure to transfer the colour/texture of the items, but not so much that you damage the paper or crush the organic matter.
- Continue pounding in small sections, working your way across the paper.
- You may need to reposition the items as you go to ensure even coverage.
- Once you've completed the pounding process, let the design dry completely.
- This can take from a few hours to overnight.
- When dry, you can choose to brush off the pieces of leaf and flower, or leave them there to be part of the art.
- Use a sealant to protect the overall piece, and to help keep the pieces on if you keep them.
Notes:
- Vary the types and sizes of flowers and leaves.
- Experiment with different types of paper to see how they affect the end results.
- Add a few drops of glycerine or a similar substance to the water to help the flowers and leaves adhere to the paper.
- Use a light touch when pounding the flowers to avoid damaging the paper or crushing the delicate petals.