Pressing Botanicals: From Garden to Art Studio

1. Intro PB 2026: Pressing plants is one of those practices that asks you to slow down. It's quiet, tactile and very forgiving. You don't need special tools or a lot of experience. Just curiosity and a little patience. Hi, I'm Diana, and welcome to this class on pressing botanicals. In this class, I'll walk you through the entire process from selecting, preparing and pressing your botanicals properly. And finally, I'll show you how to care for and store them once they're dry. I'll also show you what this pressed botanicals can be used in creative projects such as cyanotype printing and building a personal herbarium. By the end of this class, you'll have a small collection of pressed botanicals and the confidence to keep using this process in your art practice. 2. Materials PB 2026: Et's start with materials. One of the things I love most about pressing botanicals is how accessible it is. Here's what you'll need fresh botanicals, flowers, leaves, grasses. We will need some heavy books, masking tape, a pair of garden shears, paper, pencil, and a marker. And also empty box and envelope for storage. For optional materials, tweezers for delicate pieces, and notebook for labeling. And that's it. No fancy equipment required. 3. Class Project PB 2026: For your class project, you'll create a small press botanical collection using at least three to five botanicals. Press them and let them fully dry and store them carefully. If you'd like to go further, use one of your pressed botanicals in a cyanotype print or a simple herbarium page and share your results in the class gallery. O. 4. History PB 2026: Mm. Before we begin pressing our own botanicals, I want to share a little bit of the history behind this practice. Pressing plants has been around for centuries. Early botanists and naturalists collected and preserved plants by pressing them flat so they could study and document them. These collections became what we now call herbaria where plants are carefully dried, labeled and stored as scientific records of plant life. During the 18th and 19th centuries, pressing flowers also became a popular pastime. People would collect plants during walks and travels and preserve them in books or journals. These press botanicals often carried personal memories, marking places visited, seasons past or moments in time. Some of the earliest botanical books even used real pressed plants as part of their documentation. One notable example is the work of Anna Atkins, who used early photographic processes in the 1800s to document seaweed and plants. Her work helped bridge science, art and botanical preservation. Today, pressing Botanicles continues to live in both worlds. It remains important in a scientific collection, but it has also become a meaningful creative practice for artists, makers, and anyone who enjoys working closely with nature. 5. Botanicals PB 2026: Before we start pressing, it helps to understand which botanical work best. Small thin plants like ferns, eucalyptus, and small flowers like peruvian lily and gypsipilla tend to press beautifully. Thicker flowers can still be pressed, but they may take longer and sometimes lose more color. Season also matters. Spring and summer botanicals often have more moisture while fall leaves tend to dry faster. I also want to mention ethical collecting. Take only what you need, avoid rare or protected plants, and if you're gathering from nature, be mindful of the environment around you. 6. Selecting Botanicals PB 2026: In selecting botanicals, look for healthy specimens. Avoid anything already browning, bruised, or damaged. I like to gather a variety, different shapes, sizes, and textures. Even weeds and grasses can make the most beautiful pressed pieces. Color is something to keep in mind. Some colors like blues and purples tend to deepen as they dry while others may fade. That's part of the process and part of the beauty. O. 7. Preparing Botanicals PB 2026: Preparation is one of the most critical steps. Start by gently removing dirt or debris. If needed, lightly wipe the botanical with a dry cloth. Avoid washing with water, as excess moisture can promote mold growth. Trim items if they're too thick or long. For bulky flowers, you can gently split the back of the bloom or remove extra layers to help it press flatter. If a plant feels specially juicy, you can let it sit out for a few hours before pressing. This pre drying step can make a big difference. 8. Pressing Botanicals 2026: One of the easiest ways to press botanicals is by using a simple book. This method is very accessible and works surprisingly well. Start by opening any page of the book, place your dry leaves on top of the page. Make sure they lie as flat as possible, then gently close the book. You can press more than one botanical on the same book, as long as there are enough pages between them, this helps keep the book from becoming lumpier and even while the botanicals are drying. For flowers, the process is slightly different because they hold more moisture. First, place a sheet of absorbent paper on the page, then gently position the flour face down on the paper. Once it's arranged the way you like, place another absorbent paper on top. Then carefully close the book. If the leaves are clustered together, you can carefully spread them out. One simple trick is to secure them lightly with small pieces of masking tape so they stay in place while pressing. When you're finished, placing your botanicals, set the book aside and place extra weight on top. You can stack a few heavy books or use any sturdy object. The additional weight helps apply steady pressure, so the botanicals press flat and dry evenly. This method is perfect for beginners and works surprisingly well. It's also the method I personally use to press many of the botanicals that later become part of my cyanotype prints. O. 9. Pressing Timeline & Care PB 2026: Most botanicals take anywhere 1-3 weeks to fully press. Check them every few days, especially in the beginning. If the paper feels damp, replace it with dry paper to prevent mold. Once pressed, botanicals become very delicate. Handle them jettly. Ideally, with tweezers or clean dry hands, keep them away from humidity and direct sunlight, which can cause fading. If a botanical curls slightly, you can repress it for a few days to flatten it again. 10. Storing Botanicals PB 2026: For storage, I recommend using clear sleeves or sturdy envelopes and empty flat boxes. Ledling is optional, but I love noting the plant name, date, and where it was collected. Over time, this becomes a beautiful record of your practice. Store everything flat in a cool dry place. 11. Creative Uses PB 2026: One of the joys of pressing botanicals is how many ways you can use them. They're perfect for cyanotype printing because their flat shapes create strong silhouettes. Having a stored collection means you can print year round. Press botanicals are also wonderful for herbarium pages, combining plants with notes, sketches and observations. You can also use them in collage, journaling, framework, and handmade cards and bookmarks. O. 12. Closing PB 2026: In this class, pressing botanicals, we covered the following materials that we need to use for the class, class project, which please don't forget to submit your project in the class project section. Brief history of pressing botanicals understanding different botanicals, selecting botanicals to be pressed. Preparing botanicals before pressing and pressing techniques, pressing timeline and care, and how to properly store your botanicals after it has been pressed, and different ways you can use your press botanicals for creative projects. Pressing the tencles is a practice that you can return to again and again. It teaches patients, observation and care. There's no perfect result. There's no rush, time, nature, and your hands. Thank you for taking this class of me, and I cannot wait to see what you create, don't forget to share your project in the project section. And if you have any questions or want to share your thoughts about the class, please share them in the discussion section. Thank you.