Crafting with Natural Materials

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Crafting with Natural Materials

By Karen Hegre

Bay leaves dry well, retaining their soft green tones and spiky

sculptural form. Use them to transform an ordinary picture frame

inexpensively. Just select bay leaves that are of a uniform size,

then, using the glue gun, attach them to the frame, stalk end out.

When you dry flowers such a tulips or freesias, place a ball of

cotton inside the bowl of each flower. This helps the flower hold

its shape while it's drying in silica gel.

 

To make statice more flexible and easier to arrange, soften it by

spraying a small bundle with a little water and sealing it in a

plastic bag for about and hour.

 

Before beginning a dried floral project, use steam from a tea kettle

to fluff up the flowers and foliage. Gently wave the flowers or

foliage in the steam for a few seconds....being careful not to get

them too wet. Allow the steamed items to dry completely before using

them. To help extend the life of your dried floral arrangements,

steam them every three to six months. Steaming helps clean the

flowers too.

 

Here's an easy way to get a fuller, more natural-looking air-dried

rose. Hold your blow dryer a few inches from the flower. Set the

dryer on the lowest heat setting, and aim the air directly into the

blossom's center. Repeat the blow-drying every few days until the

flower holds a fluffed out shape,

 

When you're working on a floral craft that you plant to hang on the

wall, make sure the craft looks good from all angles. Hold the

arrangement up to a mirror. The view gives you a different

perspective of the project, and it helps you make sure the project

has good balance. It also enables you to identify gaps and holes.

 

The next time you're lacing branches onto a vine ring to make a

wreath and you get interrupted, try using a woodworker's spring-type

clamp to hold your work in place until you can get back to the

project.

 

After you've finished assembling a dried floral project with a glue

gun, use your blow dryer to blow hot air over the project. It will

get rid of those glue strings.

 

Be sure to protect finished floral projects by spraying them with

floral sealer spray or clear acrylic crafts spray. Even hair spray

will work in a pinch.