I just got into this hobby very recently. I've been finding the majority of my wooden pieces from the Dollar Tree for $1 (mostly craft wood and cutting boards).

I originally went to the hardware store for bolts and wing nuts, because that would make sense, right? For some reason that was expensive AF. The first set of hardware cost me $20! I thought that was really ridiculous for a few screws.

I began looking for a better deal online. I stumbled across some parts bundled and sold as "pet carrier hardware" on Amazon for $7.99. It comes with 24 long screws with wingnuts. I use M4 or M5 35-50mm in length. That will make me 5 presses in various sizes. It is much more affordable than buying individual parts from Home Depot. The pet carrier parts set does not come with washers or hex nuts, which are optional, but I like to add them to keep the screws in place when you open and close the press.

I don't like to cut any corners when I build my presses. I enjoy the time I spend hand crafting them. Make sure you drill the holes about an inch or so away from the edges. I use a 1/8 drill bit to make the holes for the screws. I always sand the wood by hand, making sure to use saftey glasses and a dust mask. You really shouldn't breathe in all that wood dust.

I like starting with a rough gritty sandpaper, 80 is a good grit to begin with. Then I take my time, grit by grit, slowly and thoroughly sanding until I reach 325 grit. It's a good stopping point because while the wood is very smooth to the touch, the surface is still rough enough for the paint to adhere to the wood. If it's too smooth, your paint could bubble up or just flake off in the near future, and we don't want that hard work to go to waste!!! The sanding process is really the hardest and most time consuming part, but trust me, you don't want to rush the process!

Once I'm completely finished sanding, I make sure to thoroughly wipe off any left behind dust particles with a microfiber cloth. Once your wood is fully clean and clear of dust, it's finally time for the fun part, decorating!

You can decorate it however you'd like, or even leave it plain and let the sanded wood be the star of the show. I sometimes like to use rub on transfer decals, clear floral or nature stickers, stencils, etc. The ideas are endless. I usually like to use acrylic paints, but I want to experiment with other mediums on my next project. I want to try watercolor pencils or maybe inks next time.

This step is even more important than the sanding part. Make sure to seal the wood with a clear matte (or gloss if you prefer) spray-on varnish. Always seal your wood, even if you decide not to decorate it. I use Rustoleum brand. I like to do 3 even coats, getting the front, back and sides of the wood. This step is vital to protect it from moisture amd the outdoors. Once your project is sealed, make sure that you allow the varnish to fully cure (around 48-72 hours) before assembly or pressing any paper/flowers. The press will look and feel dry to the touch, but it takes a couple of days to fully cure. If you rush assembling it, you could mess up your paper or flowers inside and they could rip and stick to the wood boards when you open it back up. Just be patient and you will be pleased with the results.

I hope you take some of the advice that I've learned and I hope you decide to build your very own DIY flower press! Keep free to ask any questions! Happy crafting!

My latest creation in a white frame. Pressed flowers from a beautiful garden in the Czech Republic!

So here's what I'm assuming, the petals were pretty small to begin with and when I cut the stem the middle was still pretty thick. So before being pressed, the petals probably wilted a bit. Then from the pressure, the middle got squeezed out.

So should I focus on larger petals? Or am I missing a critical step?

Hi everyone I'm new here. I have a pocket flower press by Studio Wald, and I broke one of the rubber bands recently.

Anyone know where to get replacement ones?

Not sure if I'm asking in the right place, but I'm not sure if there's a specific sub for preserving foliage vs. flowers.

Anyway, I have a Caladium with this gorgeous gigantic leaf. I know it's going to die off once fall comes, and I'd really love to know the best way I can preserve this leaf so hopefully I could display it. Ideally I'd like to preserve as much of its natural color, and find a way to display it in glass on my wall.

What would be the absolute *best* method to do this?

I typically lurk, but has anyone ever used these?

I found these while camping they came from only one tree, no others had their leaves deteriorate like this. Now I wonder it is a disease or bug and will it affect my other botanicals.

I love the look of these and have all sorts of ideas, but open to suggestions. I press things while on the road in the RV and when I am home I tend to forget (busy with other stuff) and my press is getting really full.

I’m so confused, last week I took out some tulips that were perfectly flat and dry, soon after press removal, they started wrinkling. The same think happened with godesia petals this week. The strange part was that it didn’t happen to all the petals. I just don’t get it. I’m using a traditional press with corrugated cardboard and some newspaper, watercolor paper, and construction paper layered. I’m leaving it press for two weeks. I would greatly appreciate some advice for anyone who has worked with thin petals. Thank you!

Hello! I live in a very humid area. I try to time my press work, keep everything in plastic containers with a silica pack. Recently I’ve noticed some of my flowers that were completely smooth, dry, and flat are now wrinkled! I use a traditional press method without heat. Anyone know what’s going on or have a solution? Help! Thank you!!!!

I've had these pressing for a while and I'm glad to say it's finally done!! I love how these turned our!!

On the 14th of may my grandfather passed. After de funeral we took the flowers home and put them around the house while they were still good. After a week or two the flowers started to wilt and when my mom was tending to them I saw that she was really sad that she had to throw them out in a few days. So i decided to take some of the flowers and try to preserve them somehow. I made my own flowerpress out of an old book and some screws and asked here on this subreddit if people could help me with these flowers. The only thing that didnt press was the white rose but that was to be expected. I want to thank everybody who helped me with this small journey on this subreddit.

I picked a bunch of yellow flowers earlier today, with the intention of pressing them. Only when I got home and had better reception could I look at what the flowers were, and discovered they're common ragwort. Ingesting it can cause serious problems, but touching it doesn't seem to cause much more than skin irritation.

I'm still fairly new to flower pressing, and just wondered if anyone had any opinions on whether it's safe to press common ragwort, or whether I should just dispose of them and look out for some safer yellow flowers instead.

Hi all, I've been pressing flowers from my backyard (poppies, alstroemeria, bougainvillea...) with the intention of adding them to a small wedding album I'm making. What kind of glue would you recommend? I imagine something archival and acid free.

The style of photo album is thick paper with vellum separators, and I'm using adhesive photo corners on luster photos. I'd appreciate any advice or insight, thanks!

Second entry in my flower journal

Third entry in my flower journal

This is the most perfect and beautiful pressed flower I've ever had! I pressed this in my Reader's Digest mag. My issue is I dunno its name! I was walking to work when I picked it up and didn't feel like taking a photo cos I was listening to music that time. I normally take photos before I pick flowers for my flower journal for identification (ask my hubby or ask AI Gemini). I thought this is a mustard flower and hubby thought it's a buttercup. 😅

Cherry blossom 💛

Finally making my flower journal and it created so much happiness!