DIY Pounded Flower Art
Flowers are a classic Mother’s Day gift, but they don’t last very long. This year, give Mom a gorgeous art print made from her favorite fresh blooms. Grab a store-bought bouquet (or pick a few of her favorite flowers from the garden) and turn the flowers into a pretty, handmade Mother’s Day gift. Our easy pounding technique makes it so easy to transfer the bright blooms onto watercolor paper. Once you make the art, just pop it in a frame and add a Mother’s Day card!
- Working Time 30 Minutes
- Start to Finish 2 Hours
- Difficulty Projects Kind of Easy
What you need
Materials
- Watercolor paper
- Fresh flowers
- Hammer
- Waxed paper
- Picture frame
How to do it
Step 1 Cut and arrange flowers
Start with a store-bought bouquet that features a variety of bright flowers and greenery. We found that flowers with brighter pigments—like bright yellows and dark purples—transferred the best. Cut each flower at the base, close enough to remove all of the stem while still keeping the whole flower in tact. When you have an assortment of cut flowers in different sizes and shapes, arrange them facedown on a piece of watercolor paper that is trimmed to your frame size.
Step 2 Pound flowers
It may be helpful to try transferring a few flowers onto a scrap piece of watercolor paper to see how each flower transfers over; this will give you a good idea of how best to transfer the final design. Start by placing each flower facedown; hold it in place by putting your finger over the raised base. Use the hammer to pound around the circumference of the flower, applying pressure to the petal area but avoiding the center (otherwise pollen and moisture will stick to the paper as well, which doesn’t look as pretty). Repeat this process with each flower until you’re happy with the way the art looks—don’t forget, you can add accents and dimension by pounding leafy greenery, too!
Step 3 Frame flower art
When you’re done hammering the flowers, carefully remove the waxed paper and flowers from the watercolor paper. Set the paper in a cool, dry area; let dry completely. Once dry, add the print to a frame and gift it to Mom. Bonus points if you give her a matching bouquet to go along with her flower art!
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