Creating Herbal Fun Via Recycling - How Tuesday

We recently did a Green Gifts with Herbs program for which I created a whole new selection of gift ideas.  I wanted to be creative and I wanted to use up a number of items that I was collecting in a stash.  

We are going to be adding this program to our Workshop Programs this year and have presented it as part of the Garden and Green Living Expo in Madison, Wisconsin for 2026 (Feb 13 to 15).  This allowed me to have fun with pressed flowers and also try a new technique for flower pounding.  Here is what I mean:

Previously I used grass and flowers to make napkins and table cloths, as well as a few cards.

Now I am making more cards and using a clear cover so I can be more accurate with my designs.

The clear material is salvaged from plastic berry boxes, spinach containers and other thin plastics.  Type 2 recyclable plastic is not accepted in my municipality, so this is a great way  to reuse those items, so less goes into the landfill.

Flower Pounding

• Recycled item: card stock, plastic fruit containers

• How to create: trim card stock to the size of a note card envelope or post card size.  Trim the fruit container plastic to give you small or large flat areas to use for pounding. Take fresh flowers, herbs and plant leaves. Lay the plant materials out on the card stock, cover with a  clear piece of plastic and lightly pound with a hammer.  Remove the plastic and peel off the now pounded plant material. Allow the card to dry.

• How to Use: Send a note to friends or family. Or use as a gift tag on another hand created gift.

I love to press flowers.  I especially love to press pansies.  This year I obtained a lovely pansy locally that is purple and white with and outline around the petals and a bit of yellow on the face.  They are stunning in the containers on the porch. And to my great surprise, when pounded all the color transfers giving great images.

I also created bookmarks, pressed flower cards, and these great pressed flower stickers with these and other flowers.

Leaf Stickers

• Recycled item: dry pressed leaves or herbs, clear tape, wax paper

• How to create: Gather pressed flowers, herbs and leaves.  Place a sheet or wax paper shiny side up on a flat surface.  Cover the wax paper with clear packing tape, sticky side down.  Add pressed items to the packing tape, holding them in place with a dot of glue. Cover the items with more strips of packing tape and press down well to fuse the layers and work out wrinkles or air bubbles with a smooth-edged tool or finger tips.  Trim the individuals leaves / items from the sheet. 

• How to use: When ready to use, peel the wax paper from the tape revealing a clear sticker with the leaf, flower or herb that can be used in planners or scrapbooks. 

Keep your eye out for more of these as a How to, as I sort through the videos and photos from my Expo presentation.