These pressed flower Valentines are an easy and beautiful last-minute DIY Valentine’s idea that your children can easily make themselves. We used watercolor paper for the base of ours, but you can use any heavy paper that you have such as cardstock or thin cardboard. If you don’t have pressed flowers on hand and need them quickly, there are instructions below on how to dry and press flowers quickly using a microwave. We usually press ours between parchment paper between the pages of a heavy book a couple weeks prior to when we need them. You’ll find a printable pattern below which includes a template for both the butterfly and heart shape, as well as the phrases that you can attach to them.

Materials:

– watercolor paper, cardstock or any other type of thick paper. We’re using this watercolor paper for this project.
– dried pressed flowers *See instructions below on how to press flowers quickly
– mod podge matte or plain school glue (diluted a bit with water)
– paint brush (designated for crafts) or glue brush

Download the pattern below:

How to make pressed flower paper valentines

Step 1: Cut out your shapes

Download the printable pattern above and print at 100%. Cut pattern out and use to trace and cut out your butterfly and heart shapes out of heavy paper. We used watercolor paper but you can use any thick paper that you have on hand, such as cardstock or thin cardboard. The printable also includes Valentine’s phrases to place on your Valentine’s as well, so if you are using those I would cut them out at this time as well.

Step 2: Attach your pressed flowers and phrases

Use a paint brush or glue brush to paint a thin layer of mod podge or diluted school glue on the card. Place your pressed flowers* on top and gently press down to attach. After the first layer is dry, gently place a second layer of mod podge or glue over the flowers. While the top layer of mod podge or glue is still wet, attach the phrases that you have cut out. The mod podge will look white when wet but will dry clear. I do not recommend painting an additional layer of mod podge or glue over the printed words after attaching because that may cause the ink to run. Let dry completely.

* How to dry and press flowers quickly using a microwave
If you don’t have pressed flowers on hand, you can press and dry fresh flowers quickly using a microwave. To do so, place your flowers on top of the rotating dish in your microwave between two paper towels. Place a flat microwave-safe dish (such as a ceramic baking dish) on top to weigh it down. Microwave in 15 second increments, checking on them each time for dry-ness. You may need to shift the flowers around during the process so that they dry completely. Remove carefully, as some portions may stick to the paper towels. Set aside all of the used paper towels to use for cleaning, or compost them.

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