Flowers never go out of style. Spring blooms, preserved by pressing, light up the fall and brighten the winter months as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, belt buckles, broaches and more.
Learn how to press flowers, and following the next steps, turn them into beautiful custom jewelry. Your findings (jewelry parts) can be as inexpensive or expensive as you like.
You will need:
· Pressed flowers · Earring findings (hooks, wires, etc.) · Small punch for making holes (a leather punch has a tiny hole, so do other punches found at craft shops.) An awl needle makes a small hole, and so does a large yarn or sewing needle. · Sharp craft knife · Cutting board · Laminating sheets- you can also have this done at a local copy center that has a laminating machine. You can use hand laminating sheets, or use a machine. · Small needle nose pliers or jewelry pliers and wire cutters · Small jewelry findings- rings, latches, etc.
Step One:
Pressed flowers by themselves are too delicate to punch a hole in and wear as jewelry. They need protection and preservation.
Laminating them is the best and fastest way. Using hand laminating sheets, or a laminating machine, lay the flowers on the sheet and cover with another sheet. Thin flowers press and laminate the easiest, while thicker flowers may cause wrinkles.
Step Two:
Place the laminated flower sheet on the cutting board. Working slowly with the craft knife, cut out the flowers by cutting close, but not through the edges of the flowers. Cut a tab for the punch hole.
Step Three:
Punch a hole in the tab, thread the wire through and close with a pair of needle nose pliers. Your first earring is done. Do the next one.
Cut out a matching flower, and place a split ring in the hole. Thread a necklace through the loop, or a piece of silk ribbon. You now have an earring and necklace set.
Step Four:
Let’s get a little fancier. Cut out the flower as before, but cut a tab on each side. Thread a split ring through the tabs, and close. Attach each split ring with a third, and at each end of the chain, attach a bracelet latch. You now have a bracelet.
Step Five:
Don’t be afraid to laminate tiny flowers. With a little effort, cut out with three or four tabs, and join together in a desired pattern to make a choker.
Cut with no tabs and glue to a broach, belt buckle, headband, hat brim, purse or anything else you can think of.
Adorn greeting cards with a pressed flower bookmark. Cut the flower out and glue to a decorative ribbon.
Glue to a simple wooden box for a one of a kind gift.
Make special gifts for friends and family. Flower jewelry never goes out of style, and the flowers can be from your own garden.
Source: Crafty Jenny, “How to Make Earrings from Pressed Flowers,” Crafty Jenny website, no date given.
Source: The author of this article has over 40 years of experience in diverse forms of DIY, home improvement and repair, crafting, designing, and building furniture, outdoor projects and more.