Happy Earth Day, everyone! We’re celebrating Earth Day this week with this Disney castle motif that is made with pressed flowers and twine. Disney is known for the amazing flower beds and horticulture found in the parks. Most notably: the Mickey face in front of Main Street Station right when you walk thru the gates into Disneyland. Let’s get inspired, pick some flowers from the garden and let’s get started!
| Supplies List: | Appx Cost: |
|---|---|
| Burlap or Wood Panel | $2/ panel |
| Twine | $3 |
| Glitter | $1 |
| Circular Flowers or Leaves | $0 |
| Small Thin Leaves | $0 |
| Flowers of your choice | $0 |
| Two Sheets of Felt** | $2 |
| *Approximate Cost of Supplies: | $8 |
If the cost is $0, I’m assuming you already have these things.
| Tools List: | Appx Cost: |
|---|---|
| Hot Glue Gun + Hot Glue | $10 |
| Scissors | $0 |
| Mod Podge-Matte | $2 |
| Soft Paint Brush | $2 |
| Two Ceramic Tiles (square shaped; fits in microwave)** | $2 |
| Black Pen or Marker | $0 |
| *Approximate Cost of Tools: | $16 |
If the cost is $0, I’m assuming you already have these things.
**These items will be used for our flower pressing process. There are many ways you can press flowers, this is the way we did it because we had the necessary items to do so. If you would rather purchase faux flowers and skip pressing all together, go for it!
Instructions
Flower Pressing
Select your flowers and leaves! The ideal flowers for pressing are flat and not too “juicy”. You might find some plants to be too delicate so there is some trial and error involved.
I used nasturtium leaves, a paperwhite flower, lavender, lavender leaves, and a different type of purple flower I don’t know the name of.
Take out two Ceramic Tiles–I used extra bathroom floor tiles that are 6″x6″— fold your Felt pieces in half and place one on each tile.
Arrange your picks on one of the felt-topped tiles, making sure there’s no overlapping. You can do a test run first to see how your picks held up.
Place your other felt-topped tile on top to make a sandwich. The felt is there to absorb any water from the plants.
Microwave on high for 60 seconds.
Use a towel or something to protect your hands from the heat to gently lift off the top tile.
Let your picks set for a couple minutes. If they are still fleshy or wet to the touch, microwave in the press again for an additional 30 seconds. The plants should feel like parchment if they are pressed and dried enough.
Making the Castle
Print out a favorite picture or drawing of a Disney castle. Make sure you like the size! Cut it out and lay it on your Panel.
Trace the castle with a pencil or pen.
Take your Twine and Hot Glue it in the shape of your outline.
Tip: Use a toothpick to help getting corners a little sharper. You can squeeze the corner together as the glue is drying.
Arrange your Flowers
Place your flowers and leaves in an arrangement you like.
I used my round leaves and paperwhite flower to create a Mickey head in the center of my castle and the lavender leaves for the fireworks.
Use a soft brush to delicately apply Mod Podge to the backs of your leaves and flowers and glue it to your panel. It’s best to go one at a time and slowly to avoid breaking the plants. If they do break, no worries, just use the Mod Podge to glue it back in place.
Mod Podge over the top of your plants as well.
Finishing Touches
Add a little sparkle by Mod Podging whatever glitter you might have on top of your fireworks leaves. Avoid cleaning up your glitter in the sink please! Glitter should be on art, not in the ocean.
Use a black marker or pen to line the inside of your castle to make it pop off the panel.
Finally, add a twine border around your panel!
Done!
You made it! Awesome job! I wonder what types of flowers everyone used. I had never pressed my own flowers before so this was a fun learning experience. I wanted to do something more “natural” looking for Earth Day and I hope this hit the mark.
Thank you to everyone who made it all the way down here! Let us know if you did the project by tagging us on Instagram. Give us a follow for more pictures and projects and please share with your Disney-loving friends and family.
All images on this website were taken by and belong to Main Street D.I.Y. If you wish to share an image, please give credit where credit is due! Send the people our way!
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