Pocket Flower Press

Have you ever been out for a stroll and found some pretty flowers that you want to preserve only to find that by the time you arrive home they are crushed, wilted, and no longer good for pressing. Well suffer no more with this handy pocket-sized flower press, now you can press flowers on the go!

Step 1: What you need:

Materials:

• Plywood
• Thin corrugated cardboard
• Paper (blotting paper/ newsprint/ tissue paper, etc)
• Nylon strap with a metal loop
• Velcro

Tools

• Wood cutting and sanding tools (I used a Dremel)
• Scissors
• Needle and thread
• Glue (that white non-toxic stuff)
• Ruler
• Pencil

Comments

[carterburwell]

i can't get over how adorable this is! you have quite a talent.

[ChrysN]

Thanks!

[1arrow24]

Nice! One of those things you just wish you had when feeling like a little natuaralism on a walk- great for a pocket, up there with a hand lens and jars!

[handprints]

This is perfect!  I built an herbarium press for my daughter (to be published).  She's doing a science research project.  The press is 11 in x 16 in, about the standard size of herbarium vouchers.  We went on a loooong hike to find a special tree fern (with a permit of course).   She carried the press in her backpack and I carried the collecting tools and water.   Poor girl... the press alone weighed almost 7 or 8 lbs!  add the fern specimens (The fronds are can be 6-8 ft long and over 3 ft wide) and after 5 hours...I was dead tired.  I can only imagine that she must have felt like a burro.  What a trooper!  I was considering making a lighter, smaller press for future collecting trips and then bringing the plants home and putting them in the big press to dry.  I like your design a lot!!!

[handprints]

Hey Chrys,
What do you think about connecting the corrugated pieces with duct tape so it could fold up accordion style and then tucking your folded papers into each of the grooves.  Or even connecting your top and bottom boards to the corrogute?

One of our problems with the press was that the corrogated pieces and the papers kept moving around alot..  Especially when I was trying to strap those babies in.

I think I'm going to try it as soon as I figure out my dimensions and collect enough cardboard.

I REALLY like you design!  Oh, did I say that already??

[ChrysN]

The duct tape is a great idea, I had that problem too with the pieces moving around, taping them will definitely help.

[ChrysN]

Thanks, I'd love to see the press you made.

[handprints]

posted...nowhere near as nice as yours!

[tonictina]

this is going to be my next project. thx for the instructable! excellent idea!

[ChrysN]

Thanks

[Miscelinious]

This is great! I've always been going on walks and looking at the flowers thinking how pretty they are... Especially when I've been at camp with nothing to press flowers with, not even a book. :( Thank you for the idea!

[mastermaker]

hey this is a really good idea,im thinking of using some sort of really fancey wood and polishing it too, i love to make gifts for my mom, grandmothers and my sister so i usually need to press and dry flowers a lot!

[ChrysN]

Thanks!

[MrBrownThumb]

Really cool.

[ChrysN]

Thanks!

[loximuthal]

It looks like you glue the strap to both pieces of wood. Doesn't that interfere with the covers pressing equally all around when you cinch up the strap? I would think that you'd end up only squeezing the "open" side.

[ChrysN]

Yes,that's true it would give uneven pressure. When you open the flower press, there are a lot of loose pieces, so I thought by gluing the the strap to both pieces of wood, it would be a bit more held together.

[loximuthal]

I plan to make one for my daughter's birthday. I might try gluing a loop of strap to the other cover and run the main strap through it. That way the two covers will stay together, but still be able to give even (-ish?) pressure.

[ChrysN]

That sounds like a great idea.

[loximuthal]

Here is my build. Two changes: loop on the back I mention above and strap is $ store dog collar (bonus reflective threads!) My daughter will decorate it when she gets it for her b-day.

[ChrysN]

That looks great, I'm sure your daughter will have fun decorating it!

[Ninzerbean]

Ooooooooh I love this, thank you.

[omnibot]

I'm loving this one.

[carterburwell]

soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo COOL!!

[ChrysN]

Thanks!

[snideprime]

I think you could use a couple big binder clips to hold it together. Just flip the handle parts to lie along the plywood, and it'll still fit in your pocket.