Flower Pounding

Floral Paper

Select a paper that is absorbent so the colors can transfer. Card stock is good. Avoid slick papers, like copier paper.

Materials:

card stock
flowers of choice
removable adhesive tape (so you won’t tear your paper or fabric when you remove the petals)
household hammer

Steps:

1. Set out card stock. Place your flower or leaf color-side down and tape it in place on the paper (figure A). Cover the petal completely with the tape.

2. You want the most interesting design (whether it is color or veins or texture of your plant) to face down.

Steps:

1. To use this technique on fabric, tape the petal or leaf, color-side down, to the fabric, covering the petal completely with tape.

2. Turn the fabric over and gently pound the petal until you see the color and moisture transferring. (You will be pounding directly on the fabric, rather than directly on the petal.) If the fabric is very thick, instead of turning it over, cover the petals with a piece of paper toweling before pounding.

3. To set the image, wash the fabric in salt water, using about 1/2 cup salt to eight to 10 cups water. You can now wash the fabric in a gentle, cold wash in the machine whenever it gets dirty.