Saturday, January 25, 2014

Making Pressed Flower Bookmarks


I use a number of techniques when creating my pressed flower bookmarks. In order to make them functional, you must use some type of protection.  I normally use hot laminator pouches which are run through a laminator to seal them.  You can purchase the pouches in different thicknesses.  I normally use 3 mil pouches for my bookmarks but others may use 5 mil.  I have also used iron on laminate, such as Drytak or Thermoweb which do not require a laminator.  You can also use laminate which uses a sticky background instead of heat to seal the contents (e.g. contact paper or cold laminate).   

You can find reasonably priced laminators and laminator pouches in craft stores or even Wal-Mart.  However, office supply stores have the greatest variety.  My first laminator was a Scotch brand.  I later purchased a Fellows Saturn 95 brand laminator which was on sale.  I like this one better for bookmarks as the paper can be loaded horizontally and is less apt to shift. It is also great to take with me to classes.  Many members have purchased Purple Cow brand laminators with good results.   I recommend that you look for an option for both 3 mil and 5 mil laminating and the ability to load a full sheet (e.g. 8-1/2 wide).

Creating Your Bookmark:

1)  For the best results, use thin flowers and leaves for your design.  The flowers can be glued onto cardstock, cut into strips suitable for bookmarks (e.g. 1-1/2 to 2wide x 5 to 7 tall).  You can also add ribbons and/or decorative paper to the surface.

2) Lay out your pressed flower design and glue the flowers to the card stock. Be careful to apply only a small dot of glue to the center of the flower or leaf.  Less is better.  I like acid free tacky glue (available at craft stores) as it dries quickly. Since it is not water-based, it can be used on most flowers without turning them brown.  I use a toothpick to apply my glue. 

3) Let the glue dry completely.  Sometimes, I will place my in process bookmarks under weight to hold the flowers in place until the glue has dried. 

4) If using iron-on laminate, cut two pieces to cover both the front and back of the bookmark. Then, cover the bookmark with a soft cloth and apply the heated iron (medium heat) on the surface until the laminate is set.  If using Drytac brand laminate, make sure the tiny holes are fully closed. 

5) If using laminator pouches, you can place 4-5 bookmarks onto the surface, making sure there is a small space between each one.  I apply a tiny dot of glue or 2-sided tape to the back of each bookmark to prevent them from shifting.  Run them through your laminator and then trim them to size.  When trimming, make sure you leave a small border of the laminate around each bookmark so you do not break the seal. 

6) If you sell your bookmarks, you can add a small label to the back before laminating them. 


Bookmark Making Tutorials

I did a Google search on pressed flower bookmark instructions and have added some links below for you to check out. 




1 comment:

  1. I was looking for information on the type of laminate sheets to use with pressed flowers. Your blog helped with that and so much more. Thanks

    ReplyDelete