Creating Your Pressed Flower Sparrow Art
To begin your project, assemble your materials...your kit, which includes your sparrow watercolor print, bamboo tweezers, glue applicator and pressed flower packet. You will need some basic craft glue. I like to keep my bottle of glue upside-down in a pot or cup while working to keep the glue at the tip. A small paper cup is also handy to keep glue accessible.
The center of the sparrow will be filled with pansies and violets. Arrange your flowers on the sparrow first without any glue to get an idea where you would like them. They can also extend up towards the throat of the bird.
You may use sharp scissors to trim any flowers if you would like them to fit into a certain space like a puzzle piece. You can also overlap flowers if needed.
When you have the flowers for the body where you would like them, carefully remove them and lay them to the side. You can also take a picture of them before you move them so you remember where they go! One by one, pick up each flower, dab a bit of glue into the thicker part of each flower on the back, and place them onto the paper.
You will add the tail "feathers" by taking longer floral stems, dabbing them along their length with glue, and laying them in place.
Depending on what type of greenery I have included in your kit (it varies with the season), you may need to separate larger leaves into smaller pieces. Carefully break them off with your fingers or snip with scissors.
Remove individual flowers from the stem I have provided. You will now arrange the leaves and flowers along the watercolor branch and attach with a tiny dab of glue behind each. Your branch will look most natural if you put a couple leaves down first and then layer a cluster of flowers on top.
Once all your botanicals are placed, take a heavy book and lay it over your work. Leave it overnight to dry.
Once dry, you can put your finished artwork in a frame. Make certain that your frame your art behind glass and display it out of direct sunlight to keep the colors bright. Enjoy your work...real materials bring naturally beautiful results!
