May is one of my favorite months! The spring weather becomes more consistent, we get to start planting flowers, and there’s so much to celebrate! In addition to the Derby, Memorial Day, and the end of school, we get to celebrate the people that help mold us into who we are today- our mamas and teachers!
Framed Pressed Flowers
Let me start by saying we made this as a Mother’s Day gift, but now I want to go back and make more just for fun! The boys and I went out and picked some wildflowers to dry. We also ended up buying a small bouquet on clearance because there were only a couple of wildflower options this time of year. These flowers were going to be pressed between glass, and the traditional drying method requires time, heavy books, and then more time. I’m as impatient as they come. Enter the speed drying method...using your microwave. Yes, your microwave! Simply take your stems and place them between two paper towels (This step is important, otherwise your flowers will stick to the glass.) Be sure not to overlap your stems. Then, I used a square glass baking dish filled with water, and set it on top of the paper towels to add some pressure- I think anything that is heavy and microwave safe would for this! I microwaved in two-minute increments. The heat from the microwave pulled out the moisture in the stems and flattened them in no time! I left them laid flat overnight to let them dry completely. Then, I took two dollar tree frames. I sprayed one frame gold, and then used the glass from both. Start by hot gluing your first piece of glass to the frame. Then arrange your dried flowers and hot glue the second piece of glass to the back. I’ll admit this one exceeded our expectations, and all for under $5! I feel like this is one a mama would actually love to display and share that it was made by a kiddo!
Pencil Can Teacher Gift
Whether you need something for teacher appreciation week or for an end-of-school year gift, this is a sweet one! Simply peel the paper off of a can, use tape to separate your paint colors, and let your kiddo go to town! My oldest painted this for his teacher and he was so proud because it was literally one he did completely on his own! He couldn’t wait to give it to her. We filled ours with fresh flowers, but a plant or some Flair Pens would be adorable too!
