How to Make Pressed Flower Bookmarks (A Simple, Beautiful Craft)

To make pressed flower bookmarks, you press fresh flowers flat between heavy books for 1 to 2 weeks, then arrange them on cardstock strips and seal them with laminating sheets or resin. That's really the whole process. It sounds fiddly, but once you've done it once, you'll be making a stack of these for every person you know.

I made my first batch on a quiet Sunday after clipping some violas and chamomile from the garden. By the following weekend I had the prettiest little bookmarks lined up on my kitchen table, and I haven't stopped making them since. They work beautifully as gifts, party favors, or just a sweet thing to tuck inside a card.

What You'll Need

Gather everything before you start so the assembly goes smoothly.

For pressing the flowers:

For making the bookmarks:

• Cardstock in white or kraft (cut to 2 x 7 inches per bookmark)
• Tweezers
• Craft glue or a small paintbrush with Mod Podge
• Self-adhesive laminating sheets OR a home laminator with pouches
• Scissors or a paper trimmer
• A hole punch and ribbon or twine (optional, but lovely)

How to Press Your Flowers

This step takes patience, but the actual work takes about five minutes.

• Pick flowers in the mid-morning after any dew has dried. Choose flat or thin-petaled flowers. Thick blooms like roses need to be split and pressed in halves.
• Open your heavy book to somewhere in the middle and lay down a sheet of parchment paper.
• Arrange your flowers on the parchment without overlapping them. Leave about half an inch between each one.
• Lay another sheet of parchment on top, close the book, and stack more heavy books on top.
• Wait at least 7 days. Two weeks is better. Resist peeking until day 7 at the earliest. If the parchment feels damp after the first few days, swap it out for a dry sheet to prevent mold.

Your flowers are ready when they feel papery and completely dry, with no soft or cool spots.

Assembling the Bookmarks

Once your flowers are pressed, assembly goes fast. Set up a clean, dry workspace.

• Cut your cardstock into strips measuring 2 x 7 inches. A paper trimmer makes this much cleaner than scissors.
• Use tweezers to lift each pressed flower off the parchment. They're fragile, so go slowly.
• Arrange a few flowers on each cardstock strip before gluing anything. Play with the layout. Odd numbers look more natural than even.
• Once you're happy with the arrangement, use a fine paintbrush to dab a thin layer of Mod Podge or craft glue onto the cardstock where each flower will sit.
• Press each flower gently into place and let the glue dry for about 20 minutes.
• Brush a thin coat of Mod Podge over the top of the entire bookmark as a sealant. Let it dry fully, about 30 minutes.
• Place the bookmark inside a self-adhesive laminating sheet, press out air bubbles from the center outward, then trim the laminate to leave a small border around the cardstock.
• Use a hole punch at the top and thread through a 6-inch piece of ribbon or twine if you'd like a tassel.

Tips for the Best Results

A few things I learned the hard way so you don't have to.

Pick flowers that are slightly past peak bloom. They press flatter and lose less color than very fresh, plump flowers. Violas and pansies are the easiest starting point because they're already nearly flat.

Go light on the glue. A thick layer will cause your flowers to buckle and look lumpy under the laminate. You want just enough to hold them in place.

Work quickly once you open the laminating sheet. The adhesive grabs fast and repositioning can tear delicate petals.

If your flowers lose too much color during pressing, try pressing them between pages of a phone book instead of parchment. The thinner, more absorbent paper pulls moisture faster and preserves color better.

Fun Variations to Try

Once you've got the basic method down, there's a lot of room to play.

• Watercolor background: Paint a soft watercolor wash on the cardstock before adding flowers. Soft greens and blues look really nice behind white or yellow blooms.
• Vellum overlay: Skip the laminate and layer a piece of translucent vellum over the flowers instead. Punch holes through all layers and tie with twine for a more handmade, organic look.
• Resin finish: Pour a thin layer of UV resin over the flowers instead of laminating for a glossy, glass-like finish. It takes more time, but the result is worth it.
• Gift sets: Make 4 to 6 bookmarks using the same flower palette, tie them together with a ribbon, and slip them into a kraft paper envelope. A good homemade gift for teachers, friends, or hostesses.

Gifting and Storing Your Bookmarks

Store finished bookmarks flat in a drawer or between the pages of a notebook. Avoid direct sunlight for long-term storage, as even pressed and sealed flowers will fade over time in bright light.

For gifting, slide each bookmark into a clear cellophane bag and seal with a sticker or washi tape. Add a handwritten tag and you have a gift that feels genuinely thoughtful without costing more than a dollar or two per piece.

These really are one of those crafts that looks impressive but asks very little of you. Mostly you just need the patience to wait out that pressing week, and after that, it all comes together in under an hour.