Pressed Flower DIY: Necklace & Jewelry Box

Pressed flowers have always had my heart. They’re delicate and beautiful in the quietest way. I had never actually attempted to make some until now, and now I can’t believe I’d gone a whole 25 years without ever doing so. Today I’m going to show you how to press flowers and then how to turn those pretty little pressed flowers into both a jewelry box and a necklace.

To press flowers, all you need is a heavy book, some plain paper, and some pretty flowers – the flatter the better.

Here’s what I used:

I later found out that the white ones, called cinerarias, were not a good choice. You’ll see why in a bit.

Lay the flowers out on a piece of paper with another piece of paper on top, and close them in a book. If you’re pressing more than one set of flowers, leave about ¼ inch worth of pages between each set.

Place the book somewhere it will remain undisturbed, and keep it there for a week! No cheating. You need to wait a whole week. You can actually buy a flower press which works in mere minutes, but I think the old-fashioned way is much more rewarding. Besides, if you happen to forget you’re pressing flowers, you – or someone else – will discover them one day while flipping through that book. What a happy surprise!

After a week’s time, open your book and you’ll be delighted to find the most delicate flowers you’ve ever touched. Be very careful when handing them – they have a consistency that’s similar to tissue paper and are much more breakable.

As you can see, the cinerarias didn’t turn out so well. I don’t think they were flat enough to be pressed like this, unfortunately.

Now on to the crafting!

Pressed Flower Necklace

This necklace was really simple to make. I used a circular necklace tag, Elmer’s glue, crackle medium, and a paintbrush. Everything was purchased at A.C. Moore.

Paint some glue onto the necklace tag and lay your pressed flower on top. Smooth out any air bubbles using your finger or the end of your paintbrush.

Paint a layer of crackle medium over the entire surface of the tag. Although this is not the intended purpose of crackle medium, I figured it would be a pretty good sealant because it dries clear. You could probably also use Elmer’s glue for this.

Allow the sealant to dry, attach a chain and you’re ready to go!

I kind of like how you can’t totally tell that this is a flower unless you really examine it. It kind of just looks like a pendant with an interesting texture. (I’m wearing it here along with our Arrow Drop Pendant.)

And since you can’t have a necklace without a box to put it in…

Pressed Flower Jewelry Box

I was so psyched to find this little wooden box at A.C. Moore for a mere $2.97! It has an oval cut-out on top, with a removable sturdy cardboard backing and a thin plastic film, which all work together like a picture frame.

I would imagine that most craft stores would have something similar to this. If not, you could use the same technique with pressed flowers in a picture frame, or just glue some pressed flowers onto a plain box, and seal with Mod Podge!

I wanted to go for an antique-like feeling, so I used the crackle medium again (this time for its intended purpose). I applied a camel brown base coat, let it dry, applied the crackle medium, let it dry, and finished it off with a white top coat.

And now for the frame!

Here’s what you’ll need: your jewelry box complete with oval cutout, cardboard backing, a piece of cloth or paper to cover the cardboard (you can also paint it or leave it be), a glue gun, and your beautiful pressed flowers!

First, cover the cardboard with a cloth or piece of paper of your choice. Fold it over onto the back of the cardboard, and adhere using a glue gun.

Insert the cardboard into the frame, and lightly trace the frame opening with a pencil.

Remove the cardboard from the frame once again. Now you have a frame of reference for designing your layout!

Within the shape, arrange your flowers however you like! It’s fun to play around with different arrangements and see which feels the best to you.

Glue the flowers in place using small dabs of hot glue. Be very, very careful at this part, as these little flowers are so delicate and tear easily!

Gently place the plastic film on top, insert the entire board into your frame, and you’re all set!

This would make such a pretty, thoughtful gift for any jewelry lover!

Photos by Brigette.

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