Press Poinsettias and Use as Decorations

Pressed poinsettias add the perfect dash of color and holiday cheer to any area. Have the whole family join in to help with this project. The kids will enjoy seeing how the flowers and leaves dry and become flat as well as being able to help with cards and other decorations.

What you will need:

1. Poinsettia plants
2. Scissors
3. Waxed paper
4. Heavy books
5. Decoupage medium
6. Cotton swabs
7. Green fine tipped marker
8. Tweezers

Directions:

1. Cut poinsettia flowers off of the plant at the base of the flower.
2. When you have collected the flower place it upside down on a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Continue doing this until you have gathered all the flowers you want. You may want to also cut a few leaves off the plant to press and dry with the flowers.
4. Place another sheet of waxed paper over the poinsettia flowers.
5. Place several heavy books on top of the flowers so that you can’t see any part of the flowers.
6. Now you will have to wait. It could take anywhere from a couple of days to a week to dry the flowers depending upon how humid the area is.
7. When your flowers have dried completely they are now ready to be used as decorations, following the directions will be a list of possible ways to use the poinsettias, but for now we will continue as if the poinsettia is being used as the decoration for a simple Christmas card.
8. Place the poinsettia and leaves, if you want leaves, on the card and arrange them so that you like how they look.
9. Use the tweezers to pick up the flowers and leaves.
10. Dab a small amount of decoupage medium on the backs of the flowers and leaves with a cotton swab after you have carefully picked them up with the tweezers.
11. Glue them to the paper.
12. Carefully using another cotton swab apply a thin coat of decoupage medium over the top of the flowers and leaves.
13. Add stems or other needed decoration with the green marker.

Other Uses for Pressed Poinsettias:

• Apply the flowers to plain coasters with the decoupage medium.
• Make the flowers into ornaments by pasting them to thin cardboard. Apply the layer of decoupage medium and then cut around the flower. Punch as small hole in the top string ribbon through and tie it so that it forms a loop. For a more glamorous effect, you can also put a bit of glue around the edges and sprinkle on glitter.
• Decoupage the flowers onto a glass vase for a stunning display.
• Paint a plain box or varnish it, then decoupage a single poinsettia to the lid of the box.
• Laminate the flowers, cut them out and use them as a fun window display, as accents on a white tablecloth, or attach ribbon to them and use them as napkin rings.