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Pressed Flower Keepsake Box

Transform an old shoe box into a beautiful keepsake box to store treasured letters and photos.

1. Cover the Box
Cut the lilac paper to size for the four sides and bottom of your shoebox. Apply spray adhesive to the wrong side of the paper and carefully cover the box with it.

2. Build Up the Design
Start by applying lobelia flowers and small pansy petals close together around the base of the box. Dab a spot of PVA glue onto the back of each and press firmly in place. Use fewer flowers nearer the top of the box for a scattered effect. When dry, add a few pink daisies in the same way.

3. Cover the Box Top
Repeat Step 1 to cover the box lid neatly with lilac paper. Glue the square of cream paper in the centre of the top.

4. Add Flowers to the Lid
Apply a spot of glue to the back of the large pansy and glue in place in the center of the cream panel. Take the small ears of lavender and glue them in place along each side of the square.

Variation
This decorative effect works just as well adorning a plain round box for a dressing table. Here daisies are scattered around the outside of a cream box.

 Press Your Own Flowers
• A flower press can be bought from a craft shop or department store, although flowers can be just as easily pressed between some blotting paper and card under a pile of books.
• Choose flowerheads that aren’t bulky, and pick them when they are completely dry. Take a piece of card, put a piece of blotting paper on top, then lay the flowers on the blotting paper, leaving space around each one. Add another sheet of blotting paper on top, and a second piece of card, then put the whole ‘sandwich’ under some heavy books in a warm, dry place.
• Gradually add more books to the pile over the following few days. The flowers should be ready to use after six weeks.