Make a pressed flower bookmark
• A selection of small flowers
• Paper towel
• A heavy book
• An iron (optional)
• An ironing board (optional)
• Greaseproof paper (optional)
• Sticky back plastic
• Sticky tape
• Scissors
• A rule
• A piece of cardboard
• Cotton, string or wool
To press the flowers
1. Start by laying your flowers onto a folded piece of paper towel. Try to arrange them so they can flatten as easily as possible. You may need to try a few varieties to see which press most successfully.
2. Put another folded piece of paper towel on top of the flowers and then place a heavy book on top.
The aim of pressing flowers is to flatten them and remove all moisture. If you are patient you could leave the flowers under the book for 2-3 weeks until they have dried completely. Alternatively, you can use an iron to speed the drying process.
3. Set the iron to a cool setting and ensure it will not produce steam.
4. After 10-15 minutes under the book, carefully transfer your flowers onto a square of greaseproof paper.
5. Cover the flowers with another square of greaseproof paper.
6. Place the iron down onto the flowers and hold it still for 1 minute.
7. Remove the iron and allow the paper to cool completely.
8. Repeat steps 6 and & until you are satisfied that the flowers are completely dry.
To make the bookmark
1. Cut two rectangles of sticky back plastic.
2. Remove the backing from one of the rectangles and use sticky tape to secure it to the table with the sticky side upwards.
3. Arrange the flowers onto the rectangle.
4. Fold back 1cm of the backing from one of the short ends of the second rectangle of stick back plastic.
5. Line up the second rectangle with the first and stick down the 1cm of exposed plastic.
6. Working slowly and carefully, with a ruler to help ensure even pressure across the width of your bookmark, expose a little of the sticky side at a time and press it down over the flowers.
7. Once both sheets of plastic are stuck together trim the rectangle to your desired shape.
To make the tassel
1. Cut a piece of card roughly 20cm x 10cm and fold it in half.
2. With the crease running along the top, wrap cotton around the card until you’re happy with how full your tassel will be.
3. Leave a long string running off the tassel before detaching it from the rest of the ball.
4. Cut a length of cotton that’s at least twice the depth of the cardboard and fold it in half.
5. Thread the folded end of the cotton under the wrapped strings on the cardboard near to the crease. Secure the thread with two firm knots. You have made the loop that will attach the tassel to the bookmark.
6. Slide your scissors into the open end of the card and cut the threads that cross it. Make sure you don’t trim the long string you left in step 3. Don’t worry that the tassel is uneven, you can trim it at the end.
7. Grab the top of tassel and wrap the long strip around the head of the tassel just under your fingers a number of times.
8. Pick up one of the tassel threads and knot it firmly with the strip that you wrapped around in step 7.
9. You may want to trim the end of the tassel to the same length at this stage.
Attaching the tassel
1. Make a small hole in the bottom of your bookmark with a sharp pencil.
2. Thread the loop through the hole in your bookmark and then pull the rest of the tassel through the loop to secure it.
