4H330.pmd

PLANT CRAFTS

Member Guide

Pub. No. 4H330

Plant and Soil Sciences

WISCONSIN 4-H PUBLICATION

HEAD HEART HANDS HEALTH

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

CONTENTS

Drying Flowers

Materials

Tips for Collecting Flowers

Hanging Flowers to Dry

Drying Difficult Flowers

Dried Arrangements

Materials

Making Dried Arrangements

Corsages

Materials

Types of Corsages

How to Make Corsages

Christmas Greens

Materials

Greens

How to Make Christmas Greens

More Information

...................................................... 2

.............................................. 4

............................................................... 5

.................................................. 7

................................................... 9

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

DRYING FLOWERS

Drying flowers is a good way to keep their summer beauty

through several winters. Dried flowers can be used in simple

arrangements designed by you. Anytime from spring through

fall is a good time for flower drying. When you prepare

flowers for drying, you will see different parts of the flower:

sepals, petals, stamens (male part which bears “pollen”),

pistil (female part), stalk (stem) and the receptacle (from

which the flower parts arise). (See Image 1.)

Materials

y Artificial flower stems

y Fine sand (washed and dried)

y Flowers

y Pins

y Pruners

y Rubber bands

y Shoebox

y String

y Toothpick or paintbrush

Tips for Collecting Flowers

Flower color should be at its best. However, you may want to

try drying flowers at different stages of growth. White and

yellow flowers seem to hold their color better than others.

But you may want to try other colors to see how they do. Try

to collect flowers in the heat of the day when the least

amount of water is in the plant. Petals at the center of the

flower should remain folded.

Hanging Flowers to Dry

This is probably the easiest way to dry flowers but it works

only with types called “everlastings.” Flowers of this group

hold shape and color when dried by hanging.

Everlasting Flowers

Achillea (Yarrow)

Bells of Ireland

Bittersweet

Cat-tails (harvest as soon as they develop – to avoid

shattering)

Celosia (Cockscomb)

Chives

Chrysanthemum

Delphinium

Gilia (Thimble Flower)

Globe Amaranth

Globe Thistle

Goldenrod

Grains

Gypsophila

Hydrangea

Joe Pye Weed

Knotweed

Larkspur

Mullen

Pussy Willow

Sage

Salvia

Statice

Strawflower

Teasel (Thistle)

To dry these flowers, cut stems at the length you want. Strip

off all leaves. Tie stems of several flowers into a bunch, using

a rubber band. Hang with flowers upside down in a dry, dark

and somewhat airy closet or attic. The room should be dark

because light will fade the flower color. If the weather is very

humid, the flowers may dry slowly and lose their beauty. One

problem with drying flowers using the hanging method is

that they often shrivel and lose their shape.

Image 1: Parts of the flower

Stamen

Pistil

Petal

Sepal

Receptacle

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

Drying Difficult Flowers

Burying flowers in a drying material will help to preserve their

shape and color. Four drying materials are: silica gel; sand;

mixture of sand and silica gel; and mixture of one part borax

and six parts corn meal. Silica gel, a substance which absorbs

water from the flower, is fairly expensive and requires drying

after each use. Sand, which is less expensive, also works well.

Sand holds the flower and its parts in place so they will not

lose shape while drying. Use fine sand that has been washed

three or four times, spread out in a large pan and dried in an

oven at 250°F for about two hours. The sand should be

completely cool before using. Re-dry after each use. A

mixture of borax and cornmeal is inexpensive and requires

drying in an oven at 160°F between uses.

To use these drying materials, stems are cut about one inch

below the flowers. Place a pin lengthwise into the cut stem.

When the flower dries, the stem will shrivel. The pin will

leave a hole for inserting an artificial stem. Next, place the

selected drying material in a shoe box to a depth of one inch.

Push the stem into the material with flower facing up. If you

have more than one flower, repeat this step. Do not allow the

flowers to touch one another. With the flowers in place, grab

a handful of the drying material as though making a fist. Let it

sift gently through the hole at the bottom of your fist. With a

paintbrush or toothpick, carefully push the drying material

under the flowers until the flowers are resting in a natural

position. Very carefully sift the drying material down between

the sepals, petals and other flower parts. Use the paintbrush

or toothpick to guide the drying material into place. Do this

to all the flowers in the box. Now add drying material to the

box until flowers are buried about one-half inch below the

surface. Do not cover the box. (See Image 2.)

Place the box in a dry, airy spot. After four weeks, check one

flower to see if it has dried. This will act as a guide for the

other flowers. When flowers are dry, remove them by tilting

the box slightly and allowing the drying material to slowly

pour onto a newspaper or into another shoebox. Gently

brush the drying material from the flower. Be careful not to

break flower parts. Remove the pin and insert an artificial

stem. The flowers are now dry and ready for you to enjoy.

Flowers for Drying

Aster

Carnation

Centurea

Chrysanthemum

Daffodil

Dahlia

Daisy

Delphinium

Dogwood

Gaillardia

Gladiolus

Hollyhock

Iris (Siberian)

Japanese Anemone

Larkspur

Lilac

Lily

Marigold

Pansy

Queen Anne’s Lace

Scabiosa

Scilla (Wood Hyacinth)

Sweet Pea

Tithonia

Zinnia

Image 2: Cut the stem one inch below the flower, place a pin into the stem, and sift drying material over the flower.

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

DRIED ARRANGEMENTS

Arranging dried materials in a design all your own can be

very entertaining. There are many different types of arrange-

ments you may like to try. If you make dried arrangements in

fall, you can use naturally dried materials. During other

seasons you may have to dry many of the plants yourself.

Creating dried arrangements involves two basic steps:

collecting the dried plants or drying them yourself, and then

arranging them. To collect dried materials, get a shoe box and

go on a collection mission. Keep an eye open for unique

stones and any dried materials that come from plants, such as

bark, seeds, twigs, leaves and flowers. There are plenty of

materials and it is up to you to find them. Collect several of

each.

Materials

y Acorns

y Bittersweet

y Cat-tails

y Cones (if closed, place near a heater to open)

y Dried flowers (or dry them yourself)

y Dried leaves and pine needles

y Dried teasel

y Flat stones

y Milkweed pods

y Nuts

y Unusual pieces of wood and bark

Making Dried Arrangements

Simple Vase or Container Arrangements

If you have learned how to dry flowers, this is for you. You

will need a vase, narrow-necked bottle, tin can or some other

container. Some type of holder is necessary to keep flowers

in place. Styrofoam fastened to the bottom of the container

with florist clay works fine. Check with a local florist for other

ideas.

Arranging plant materials in a pleasing design is a real art.

Several suggestions will help you with your design. Line and

mass arrangements are the two main forms of design. Five

kinds of line arrangements are the hogarth curve, crescent,

horizontal, vertical and right angle. Three kinds of mass

arrangement are the circle, oval and triangle. Scale, balance

and harmony are also important features of design. Scale

deals with size. Large flowers would not look right in a tiny

container or vice versa. For balance, avoid top-heavy

designs. Harmony is achieved mainly by avoiding color

clash. Using a limited number of types of materials generally

results in a more powerful design. Experiment so you can see

what works best in your arrangement. These ideas may also

be used in fresh flower designs. (See Image 3.)

To arrange, start with the tallest of the dried flowers. It

should be about two times as tall as the upright container. If

using a low container, the flowers should be two times as tall

as the container is wide or long.

Now add two or more dried flowers: one to the right and one

to the left of the tall center flowers. This will give your design

an outline.

Image 3: (Left to Right, Top) Right angle, hogarth curve, cresent, and horizontal flower arrangements; (Left to Right,

Bottom) triangle, circle, oval and vertical flower arrangements.

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

Place some dried flowers of different lengths in front and in

back of the first three flowers. Add two or three flowers of

darker color to be the “focal” point of the arrangement. Try

not to face all the flowers the same direction.

Place fine leaves, pine needles or other lace-like dried material

between the edge of the container and the flowers. Take out

or add some flowers. Step back and look over your arrange-

ment. If you like it, you are done; if not, try again.

Arrangements Inside Glass Jars

Choose a glass container with a mouth large enough to get

your hands into. Wash and dry thoroughly. Add about one-

inch of dry sand or colored gravel to the bottom. Use more

for larger containers. Select several of the dried materials that

will fit in the jar; arrange them as you wish but do not crowd.

Add acorns or unusual stones to the bottom for decoration.

Collages

Choose an attractive flat surface. Burlap tightly stretched

over a wooden frame, construction paper or flat pieces of

wood make fine backgrounds. On the surface, lay out a

design using the dried materials, flat stones and other

materials. When you have a design you like, glue the

materials into place. (White glue works well.)

The final design may be used as a table decoration or framed

and hung on the wall.

Mobiles

These are hanging, movable, dried arrangements. You will

need black, white or clear nylon thread. The key to this

arrangement is balance. The weights of the different materials

will cause the mobile to shift and go off balance. Your job is

to tie the thread and arrange the dried materials in a way that

lets your final design have balance. Try to keep this design

simple.

These are just a few of the things that can be done. Once you

have tried these, you may want to try others. (See Image 4.)

CORSAGES

A corsage is a bouquet out of water made of one or more

blooms, stem wrapping material, wire and a bow, if needed. It

is also fixed in a pleasing pattern.

Every flower garden provides some blooms that can be

worked into attractive corsages to wear. Flowers may be worn

on your shoulder, in your hair, at your waist, on your wrist or

attached to a purse.

Materials

y Flowers – Use only flowers that last three hours or longer

without water. Some flowers wilt quickly out of water.

These include petunia, sun rose, cosmos and flowering

tobacco. Avoid using these in corsages.

y Foliage – Stiff green leaves, useful as a backing for your

corsages. Sometimes the foliage of the flowers you use is

suitable. Some corsages need no foliage. Foliage can

come from:

° Arborvitae

° Boxwood

° Chamaecyparis

° English Ivy

° Euonymus

° Evergreen Privet

° Holly

° Honeysuckle

° Juniper

° Mountain Laurel

° Rhododendron

°Yew

y Ribbon – A bow of ribbon often helps to finish off a

corsage. A bow is made from a yard of ½ or ¾-inch wide

ribbon of a color appropriate for the flowers used.

Image 4: Glass jar arrangements, collages and mobiles.

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

y Tape – Floral tape to cover the wired stems is very handy

or you can use colored cellophane tape. Tinfoil also is

good finishing material. Some florists may sell floral tape.

y Wire – Wire is sold according to size. The larger the

number of the wire, the finer it is. If a wire is not available

from your florist, you may find spools at department or

hardware stores. For corsage making, three good sizes of

wire are:

° Size 32 – fine wire, for small or fragile flowers, such as

florets of gladiolus and delphinium.

° Size 28 – medium wire, for most of the daisy type

flowers.

° Size 22 – heavy wire, used with heavy flowers, such as

roses, irises and peonies.

Types of Corsages (See Image 5.)

Cluster or Nosegay

A cluster or nosegay corsage is made up of flowers grouped

in a mass. A colonial bouquet is assembled by starting with

one flower in the center, such as a rose. Other flowers are

worked around the center in a circle, until the desired size is

reached.

Another type of cluster corsage is made by gathering one

type of flower into a ball-like mass. This is often done with

sweet peas or violets. The sweet pea or violet corsage does

not require separate wiring of individual flowers, because the

flowers are tightly packed and support each other. A backing

of stiff, green leaves adds more support. A wrapping of

aluminum foil creates a good finish for a cluster corsage.

Spray

Spray corsages are individual flowers arranged in a loose

group. Wired stems are needed to hold flowers in desired

positions. Each flower is wired separately and its stem is

wrapped.

Roses, daisies, irises, chrysanthemums and most round

corsage flowers can be treated this way. After arranging the

flowers the way you want them, add wired foliage to form a

backing. Secure the whole corsage with a piece of wire by

wrapping it tightly around the other wires, binding them

together.

Individual Flower

The individual flower corsage is usually made of one large

flower, such as a peony, tulip, iris or lily. A wired flower and

flower bud are generally used, backed by two or three leaves.

The leaves set off the beauty of the bloom.

How to Make Corsages

Wiring Flowers

Flowers with hollow stems can be made strong enough to

hold a fixed position in a corsage by pushing a Size 22 wire

up through the stem and into the flower. Daffodils and

zinnias are treated this way.

Large stems often are replaced by wire. When wiring roses,

use Size 22 wire. Cut the stem down to two inches. Run a wire

through the hard green part under the petals. Bend the wire

down on both sides of the green part and twist one of the

wires around the other wire and the short stem.

Carnations can be wired this way, too, with Size 28 wire.

Carnations can be made larger and fluffier by removing the

green casing (calyx).

Flowers with thin, stiff stems can be wired by running a Size

28 wire along the stem. Start by pushing the wire through the

flower and making a small hook. Then pull the hook into the

petals and wind the wire around the stem. Small, flowered

chrysanthemums are sometimes wired this way.

Image 5: Cluster, spray and individual flower corsages.

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

To wire a gladiolus floret, wrap the base of the floret with

colored tape or colored cellophane tape to prevent crushing

the floret. Gladiolus can be built into a “glamellia” by opening

a floret, removing the stamens and pistil, and adding a bud

for the center. For a stiffer center, run a Size 28 wire up into

the base of the bud. Wrap the opened floret around the bud.

Build up the wanted size by adding more opened flowers.

Run three or four fine wires through the assembled glamellia.

Bend these back and wrap them around each other lightly.

Wrap with tape. (See Image 6.)

Wiring Foliage

Make a hairpin of Size 28 wire. Push it through the leaf one

inch above the lower edge. Extend one wire end along the

stem. Wind the other wire end around the stem and wire.

Making a Bow

You will need about three feet of ribbon for a bow. Holding a

piece of ribbon between your thumb and index finger, make

several loops above and below your fingers. Pinch each loop

between your fingers as it is made. Place the center of a one-

foot piece of Size 28 wire on the spot where you pinch the

loops. Pull the wire around the ribbon and twist the wire

together tightly at this point two or three times. Use the free

ends of wire to fasten the bow to the corsage.

CHRISTMAS GREENS

Beautiful Christmas decorations you can easily make at home

include Christmas bouquets, mantle decorations, festoons,

evergreen balls, door swags and Christmas corsages. Two

others, wreaths and centerpieces, are discussed here.

Materials

In addition to the greens, you should have the following

materials for Christmas decorations:

y Pruning shears, knife or old scissors to cut wire and

greens

y Ribbon for bows and cellophane or plastic straws

y Cones, berried-branches and other material for decoration

y Size 9 wire for wreath hoops; Size 22 or 24 wire for

winding; Size 20 or 22 wire for attaching decorations

y Styrofoam or pieces of wood and sphagnum moss for

centerpieces

y Candles for table decorations

Greens

Many different kinds of leaves, stems and branches can be

used in Christmas decorations. Many can be purchased.

Some may be pruned from the evergreens growing in your

yard. Many may be gathered in the woods. Do not use

greens from plants which are listed on the State Conservation

list of protected plants. Always obtain permission of the

owner to gather greens. Some of the better common greens

are:

y Arborvitae

y Austrian Pine

y Balsam Fir

y Boxwood

y Douglas Fir

y Ground Pine

y Holly

y Juniper

y Mountain Laurel

y Red Cedar

y White Pine

y Yew

Many other cultivated greens, such as rhododendron,

evergreen barberry, evergreen privet and English Ivy, may be

gathered in small quantities without damaging the plants.

Dried grasses, herbs, cones, berries and seed pods may be

used in place of evergreen for the body of wreaths and table

decorations.

Image 6: Wiring gladiolus florets.

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

How to Make Christmas Greens

Table Centerpieces

Table centerpieces must be planned carefully to fit the table

and be in good proportion. Height should be kept below the

eye level of people sitting at the table.

Table decorations may be made in low bowls, moss or

Styrofoam. Sprays of evergreen, berries, cones and other

decorations can be arranged in a bowl using a pin cushion

holder.

An easy way to make a table decoration is to start with a

piece of board. Cut the board to allow the evergreens to

extend about six inches all the way around. Bore holes in the

board for one, two or three candles. Sphagnum moss from the

florist or clean fibrous moss from the woods is bound firmly

with string or wire to the wood block. The moss should be

moist but not wet. Styrofoam may be used as the base of an

arrangement in place of a board and moss.

Short pieces of evergreen are sharpened and stuck into the

moss. The evergreen pieces may be wired if necessary.

Starting at the outer edge, pieces of evergreen six or seven

inches long should be placed close together to cover the

edge of the moss. Build up with shorter pieces of evergreen

until the moss is entirely covered. One or more candles, 12 to

18 inches long, are then placed in the holes. The centerpiece

can then be decorated with cones, red berries and other

ornaments. Evergreens are highly flammable, particularly after

they dry out. Because of the danger of fire, the candles

should not be lighted. (See Image 7.)

Wreaths

The first step in making a wreath is to make the frame. The

size of the frame determines the size of the finished wreath. A

medium-sized wreath would have a frame 10 to 15 inches in

diameter.

The frame may be made in a number of different ways. Size 9

wire may be drawn into a circle and bound together by

wrapping with Size 20 wire, or a coat hanger may be twisted

into a circle and bound. Wire frames may also be purchased

from florists.

The size of the pieces of evergreen depends on the size of

the wreath to be made. A wreath with a frame 15 inches in

diameter should have sprays of green four to six inches long.

Cut enough greens for the whole wreath before you start

binding. Strip the needles from the base of the stems.

Select a piece of Size 20 wire, which is long enough to go

around the frame several times. Attach this wire to the frame.

Take two to four sprays and hold them against the frame.

Bind the base of sprays to the frame by wrapping with the

wire. Repeat this step until the wreath is complete. It is better

to turn one group of greens inward and the next outward.

Tighten the binding wire after each group of sprays is added.

When the end is reached the first sprays are held back and

others are bound under them. The binding wire is then

securely fastened to the frame. The wreath can now be

trimmed with ribbon, cones, berries or other decorative

material.

Trimmings and decorations are added after the wreath is

finished and should not be worked in during the binding

step. Decorations are individually wired to the frame. Your

imagination will determine what decorations to use.

Door Swags or Sprays

Door swags probably are the easiest Christmas decorations

to make. Arrange three or more evergreen branches, 18 to 30

inches long, to make a pleasing bouquet or festoon. The

arrangement should be largest at the bottom. Wire the

branches securely together. Decorate with such things as

ribbon, sleigh bells and cones.

Christmas Corsages

Christmas corsages give you an opportunity to be creative.

Construction principles are the same as for regular corsages.

Simple Christmas corsages can be made with a few pieces of

evergreen like spruce or yew, a few bright berries and a bow

of one-half inch bright red ribbon.

Image 7: Evergreen centerpiece should not be lighted.

Pub. No. 4H330, Pg.

WISCONSIN 4-H

MORE INFORMATION

The Wisconsin 4-H Plant Crafts project covers harvesting,

drying and using plant materials. Check with your county 4-H

office for other 4-H publications on plants, including 4H453,

Plant Crafts Supplement, and 4H328, Propagating and

Growing House Plants;

For more information on plants, also check out the Plant

Project Page on the Wisconsin 4-H Web Site: http://

www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/onlinpro/plants/plants.html. Other

excellent plant craft web pages on the Internet include:

y Make-Stuff.com site on things you can do with dried

flowers: http://www.make-stuff.com/gardening/

dried_flowers.html

y Make-Stuff.com site with ideas on how to make your own

potpourri and sachets: http://www.make-stuff.com/

gardening/potpourri.html

If you enter plant craft projects in your county fair, judges

usually use the following criteria to evaluate or “place”

exhibits:

y Color Harmony: Refers to the relation of colors to one

another in the arrangement, which makes for a pleasing

and unified arrangement of dried flowers and foliage.

Good color harmony should also be evident between

plant material and container. Avoid gaudy and unusual

containers that detract from the arrangement.

y Design: Arrangements should have a definite design with

stems arranged to create an attractive effect, such as a

triangle, S-curve, crescent or sunburst. This requires the

tasteful use of color, space, texture and plant shapes.

y Balance: Involves the volume and color of plant material,

and making sure that the “weight” of one side of the

arrangement is equal to the other side. A well-balanced

arrangement is stable in appearance and does not appear

to tilt to either side.

y Proportion: Refers to the proper relationship between

various parts of the arrangement and between plant

materials and the container. Size of dried flowers and

foliage, and stem length are major considerations.

y Condition: Plants should be properly dried. Plants should

have maintained their color and shape (not be shriveled

or broken).

y Suitability of Material, Relation to Container: Dried

flowers and foliage used should naturally belong to-

gether. Containers can give rhythm and harmony of shape

and color as well as complement line arrangements.

y Distinction, Originality: Refers to exhibits that show

style, are uncommon, out of the ordinary and not imitated.

The constructive expression of the designer’s personality

is imaginative, inventive, unique and dissimilar to the rank

and file without being bizarre.

y Construction: Exhibit is well planned and executed.

Construction techniques are solid. Foliage should be

inserted so the judge can not see foam, wires or other

material used to hold stems in the container. The

container’s back also should be finished off.

“An EEO/AA employer,

University of Wisconsin-

Extension provides equal

opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and

American with Disabilities (ADA) requirements.”

Developed by the Wisconsin 4-H Office, 431 Lowell Hall, 610 Langdon

St., Madison, WI 53703.

The 4-H name and emblem are federally protected under Title 18 US

Code 707. Updated by Wayne Brabender, Wisconsin 4-H Distance

Learning Specialist. Layout and design revised by Dana Kopydlowski,

4-H Youth Development Graphic Artist, August 2004.

To order multiple copies of this publication, call toll free:

1-877-WIS-PUBS (947-7827). To see more Cooperative

Extension Information, visit our web site: http://

cecommerce.uwex.edu.