Transform Your Fresh Flowers into Beautiful Note Cards

Preserve the beauty of fresh flowers by making them into these gorgeous note cards. Your family and friends will be so impressed! Shh! You don't have to tell them that the note cards cost next to nothing. You don't even have to tell them how easy the cards are to make, and how little time they took.

To begin with you will need a few simple supplies. Gather up these things, and you'll be ready to start making your note cards. You will need: a few sheets of 8 1/2" X 11" plain white paper. (Just steal a few sheets from your printer), an old magazine or catalog, a couple of white paper towels, a small rolling pin, and, of course, some fresh flowers. Please note that the supplies can vary. Be creative, especially if you don't have some of these things on hand. Really, any paper will do. If you don't have a small rolling pin, you could use a hammer for this project. The fresh flowers are a real necessity.

To get started, find a nice sturdy work place. A kitchen counter or a washing machine are sturdy and about the right height for working. Put your magazine or catalog down first. This is to protect your counter top. Fold the paper in fourths, so you have a note card size. Place a flower on the note card (right side down), and place the paper towel on top of it. Using your rolling pin, roll back and forth several times applying firm pressure. If you are using a hammer instead of the rolling pin, tap lightly on the flower. Be sure to move the hammer around so you transfer the entire flower. Remove the paper towel and the remains of the flower. The flower will be quite soft and limp. It can only be used one time. Position another flower or leaf on the note card and repeat the process. Continue arranging and pressing the flowers and leaves one at a time until you are satisfied with the outcome. You can make a card with one simple flower, or a whole arrangement of flowers. The pigment from the flowers is absorbed into the paper, and it dries rather quickly. If you're feeing especially creative, you might want to make matching envelopes.

Use your imagination and experiment with different types of flowers and leaves. Soft flimsy flowers seem to work best. Pansies and Morning Glories transfer to the paper quite well.

Send these note cards out and brighten someone's day. You'll be sure to get comments back about how clever you are!