Pressed Flowers Under Glass

The holiday of Shavuot begins next Tuesday night.

It commemorates the anniversary of the day the Torah was given to the entire nation of Israel, assembled at Mount Sinai. Since the mountain suddenly blossomed with flowers in anticipation of the giving of the Torah, we decorate our homes and table with greenery and flowers on this holiday.

I love to tuck flowers wherever I can--here they are sandwiched between two glass plates.

I found these plates at Walmart for $1.50 each but you can also use clear plastic plates.

Spring has sprung here in the Northeast and pansies are everywhere--I planted a pot a few weeks ago so it was easy to snip what I needed from a pot on my front steps.

Pressing the flowers is easy:

1. Select blossoms to dry. 

2. Separate the blossoms and leaves from the stems. Work carefully, avoiding tearing the blossoms. Use scissors to clip the blossom where it joins the stem.

3. Spread white paper towels in a book and arrange the blossoms and leaves and stems on the toweling. Don't allow the plants to touch each other. Top with a second white towel. Cover this with a large, heavy book or a stack of books.

4. Remove the book after five days. Carefully pry the flowers and other plant material from the paper toweling. Use a pair of tweezers, and take care not to tear the petals or leaves. If the flowers are not completely dry, repeat Step 3 with fresh paper toweling.

5. Store the dried flowers in an opaque cardboard box with a lid until you're ready to use them.

To make your napkins resemble Torah scrolls, simply roll both ends to meet in the center.

Pansies are probably the easiest flower to press but any type of flat flower would work as well.