Crafting with Violas – Pounded, Pressed, and Dried
Harvest, create, and give a pretty sentiment with violas! Maddie and I made these greeting cards made with pounded, pressed, and dried violas. We loved the texture and layering that the combination of different preservation techniques gave the project. It was the perfect rainy-day craft. Here’s how we did it:
You Will Need
- fresh violas
- pressed violas
- dried violas
- watercolor paper
- paper towel or parchment paper
- masking tape
- hammer or mallet
- twine
- glue
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To Make
- Fold the watercolor paper into twice the size of the card you’d like to make. Tear the edges for a weathered look. Then fold it again to make it a greeting card.
- Place the watercolor paper on a flat surface that is safe for hammering on (for example, a work bench or cutting board) and tape down to secure.
- Place fresh viola heads over the paper, face down.
- Cover with a paper towel and pound the surface with a hammer or mallet, making sure to pound the entire surface area where your petals are placed. Be careful not to move the flowers around too much. (Ideally, you want them to stay in the same place throughout the entire transfer.) Peek under the paper towel from time to time to ensure your petals are properly transferring.
- Remove the paper towel and carefully peel off the petals. They’ll be a bit smashed up but that’s okay!
- Add a layer of pressed violas over the pounded viola prints. Adhere with a dab of glue.
- Now add a layer of dried violas. Adhere with a dab of glue.
- Finally, detail with twine.
Have fun experimenting different types of botanicals and various sizes and shapes of watercolor paper. Turn your art into a greeting card, gift tag, or wall art!
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