Abstractum Studio Backstage - Flower press creation or How I learnt to drill!

Hello guys!

I decided to show you how to create a flower press on your own. I did mine like that, and here is the process.

Let's start!

Flower presses can be real fun, especially for children.
When I was a child, I used to collect tree leaves in autumn, you know, when they are all golden and red. I did not have the flower press so I put everything in the heavy book with many pages. I filled it and waited several weeks for it to be ready.

I thought it was a magic the moment when I opened the book and saw that my leaves kept their shape and were so colourful! it was great to create compositions with them after and making the real herbariums.

Here is how flower press looks like. I do not decorate mine, but you can colour them, add some stickers and do what ever you like!
I usually write on the top the day when I filled the press and the list of flowers inside. I have 5 presses in total, so it is useful to remember when I prepared it and what I put inside😉

You will need:

• 2 wood pieces 30*30 cm each.
  You can use plywood, do not take too thin, they can easily crack once you buckle the press. My pieces are 8 mm thick and they suit perfectly our needs.

• 4 bolts, 4 self-locking nuts and 4 cup nuts
  The bolts must be at least 5 mm width, otherwise you can bend them when you buckle the press. I use of 6mm width and 20 cm long each. The nuts size suits the bolt width.

• Drill machine and suitable drill
  If your bolts are of 6 mm width, use the drill of 7-8 mm, will be easier to insert bolts. Tested by me=)

• Ruler and Pensil

• Paper clips (5 cm width)

• A bit of time

First you have to settle the points for the holes to be sure that they match on both wooden sheets. I took 3 cm from each side, look:

Either you can line each wooden sheet separately or you can stick them together and fix - thus when you drill they will not move and the holes will match perfectly. I used paper clips to fix them, it worked great.

Drilling is fun, check how I've done on Youtube!
However you need strong arms to do it. It is very satisfying to work by hands especially when you create something for yourself.

As soon as all the holes are done, numerate them, it helps not to loose time afterwards on searching the correct sides to match when you assemble your press.

You wood is ready, time to make the bolts, easy-peasy process, look!

Now you can essemble all the details together and you have your press done.

What you can do with it? You can press flowers of course!=)

Here is the small time-lapse on how I fill the press!

What for I am drying flowers you can find out visiting my shop - link in bio!=)

Stay Creative and Have fun, guys!🙃