Picking flowers is one of life's more enjoyable pursuits, don't you think? Nothing beats a carefree stroll in the wilderness, collecting colourful blooms as you go. In the spirit of such leisurely good times, we've devised a nifty way for flower fossickers to keep their petals preserved. The best bit is that this little flower press is compact enough to take wherever you go, so you can dry and store your treasures on the spot. Happy hunting!



MATERIALS:

2 blank coasters (you can buy these from craft stores)
6 pieces of cardboard, the same shape as the coasters (you can use the coasters as templates)
5 rectangular pieces of baking paper, approx
4 long 3/16 sized screws
4 3/16 sized wingnuts
drill with a drill bit approximately the same size as the screws
a scrap piece of wood to drill against
washi tape
assorted paintbrushes
assorted acrylic paint
pencil
2 rubber bands



INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mark four points onto a coaster, approximately 1-1.5cm in from each corner.



2. Insert a piece of baking paper in between each piece of cardboard and sandwich them all between the two coasters. Secure the stack with the rubber bands.



3. Holding the stack securely and firmly against the scrap piece of wood, drill holes all the way through the stack at the marked points.



4. Stick a piece of washi tape diagonally across one coaster, using the drilled holes as a guide. This coaster will form the top of your flower press.



5. Paint one half of the coaster in a colour of your choice. Once the paint has dried, remove the washi tape.



6. Fix another piece of washi tape along the edge of the painted section, and then fill in the rest of the coaster with a second colour of your choice. Leave this to dry, then remove the tape.



7. Decorate the coaster with some fun patterns. Let your imagination run a bit wild!



8. Decorate the other coaster with the design of your choice. We used a vibrant yellow and then cut some metallic contact into little segments to create a fancy confetti pattern. This coaster will become the bottom of your press.



9. Insert the screws into each hole and attach the wingnuts. Now it's time to start collecting flowers! Each time you find something special, separate the pieces of the press and slip your flower under a sheet of baking paper. Keep your flowers pressed for a few weeks so that they have time to dry out.

HOT TIP: If you have some amazing old novelty coasters lying around, you could use them to make this project, instead of blank ones!