Crafts don't necessarily include glue, scissors and paper. Crafts are anything you enjoy doing, be it cooking, sewing, knitting and even gardening. It is usually something that gives great pleasure, is relaxing and has to be fit into a time slot somewhere between homemaker and professional. Please enjoy some of the crafts we have chose for you.

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Preserving Flowers
Summer Flowers - Fall & Winter Splendor

While your garden and the local farmers market are abundant with flowers, take advantage of the blooms by preserving them for your fall and winter decorating.

To preserve your flowers, you will need the following materials:

• Clean containers with tight fitting lids (at least 6 - 8 inches deep) such as ice cream buckets
• Large box of Borax crystals
• Small funnel
• Small spoon
• Toothpicks
• Blooms of varying types from the garden.

Instructions: After you have removed your blooms from the crystals, pour them through a colander to remove any leaves or petals you have missed. Place sifted crystals back in the bucket, leave the lid off for a few days. Stirring occasionally to ensure crystals are air-dried. Place lid on bucket and store in a cool dry place until you are ready to dry your next batch of blooms. Can be re-used three to five times.

Cut the blooms from their early bud stage to fully open. Keep in mind that a flower that is close to the end of its cycle will not preserve as nicely. Sort the blooms as to density. Pansies, buttercups and some poppies and other single petaled flowers can be dried together. Carnations and open roses together. Rose buds should be dried with any other tight buds.

Gently shake each flower to ensure all bugs are dislodged. Cut the stem about one inch from the base of the bloom. Remove any outside flower petals that are damaged.

In the bottom of the container pour an inch and a half of Borax. Settle blooms into the container, with stems inserted into the crystals. Blooms should not touch each other or the side of the container.

Using a spoon, carefully sprinkle more crystals on each bloom and around it. Be sure to support any petals that may be odd shaped by adding more Borax in/under those spots. Once you have approximately half inch of crystals on top of the blooms, use a funnel to continue pouring the crystals evenly over the container until there is two inches as a top and all bloom petals are covered completely.

Cover with a tight fitting lid. Store in a cool place for three weeks. DO NOT OPEN THE LID.

After three weeks, it is then safe to check your blooms. Some may be ready to be removed and some may need more drying time. Carefully spoon away top layer. Using the spoon or your hands, gently lift out flowers. Don't lift by the petals. Holding the bloom by the stem, very, very gently shake to remove any crystals left.

Carnations, roses, and any types of buds may take longer to dry. When a bloom is dried, it will have a transparent look about it. Some blooms that have a strong scent may even retain some of that odor.

Suggestions for uses of your dried flowers.

Use a mixture of various colored flowers to create a pot pourrie. Add a drop or two of essential oil, bag, tie with a bright ribbon and give as a gift.

Roses - break some apart and place in a basket with rose buds and whole blooms. Add a drop or two of rose oil. Place basket in your favorite relaxing room. Try our Spiced Amour Pomanders with your extra rose petals.

Arrange dried blooms such as dahlias, carnations, chrysanthemums with candles, small pumpkins, gourds, pinecones, cat tails and feathers to create a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Dried red roses and white daisies combined with ribbons, tree boughs and candles make a festive Christmas centerpiece. Make your own napkin holders with our Leaves for all Occasions

These Easter lilies, carnations and roses were dried using this drying technique. Securing the flowers with thin wire and florist tape will create a small bouquet to be attached to a candle holder as seen here. Other suggested uses include tieing with a colorful ribbon and laying at each place setting on the table; attach to the wine glasses of special guests; or lay small bunches of different dried blooms around candles.

View more ideas for Table Centerpieces.

NOTE: This method can be used to preserve family memories as well. Corsages if dried within a day or two of special occasions can be left in tact with ribbon and greenery. Spray with a clear sealer (flowers may change color) and frame in a sealed shadow box with other momentoes of the occasion. Ferns, once dried become very brittle and may not last well. You may wish to add a fixative to help preserve your flowers.

Please read our article History in the Making for more ideas of how to preserve your family memories.

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Check out our other related articles and pages.

Citrus Peels - how to make your own
Herbal Scents - for your closets and drawers
Lavender Baskets - made from fresh lavender sprigs
Orange Pomanders - make for yourself or as a gift
Cinnamon Shapes - make for yourself or as a gift
Crafters Gallery - crafters and artists display and share their creative talents.
Lavender Sachets - lavender sachets to make
Crafts Kids Can Make
Essential Oils - great to add to your potpourri!

Rose Absolute Oil 1/8 oz This is an economical, high-quality alternative to distilled rose essential oils, (rose otto). Rose absolute works well for scenting purposes, but to experience full aromatherapy benefits, we recommend using rose otto. Rose absolute has a sweet, deep-rosy, long-lasting aroma. It is used in perfumes for both its scent and fixative qualities. Aromatherapy benefits: romantic, uplifting. Essential, absolute and resin oils are volatile, fragrant materials extracted from the root, bark, wood, seed, fruit, leaf or flower of a single plant. The plants used to produce these oils are grown on certified organic fields and are third-party certified by Quality Assurance International; no synthetic chemicals are used in growing or processing them. Steam distillation and cold pressing are used to extract the essential oil from the plant. Essential oils and absolutes are very potent and should always be used sparingly and in conjunction with a reliable reference. Essential oils contain the odor, taste and medicinal properties of the plant itself, but in very concentrated form, with no base oil, alcohol, water or dilutants added.

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