Preserving flowers in hot glue allows you to capture blossoms from bouquets or your garden indefinitely. It provides a simple approach to creating floral trinkets and craft items. The effect resembles blossoms encased in botanical soap. The technique doesn't require much time or many supplies. It's also an enjoyable craft experience to share with friends or family.

  • Preserving flowers in hot glue allows you to capture blossoms from bouquets or your garden indefinitely.
  • It provides a simple approach to creating floral trinkets and craft items.

Select a flower that is fresh and without any blemishes. Any type of flower will do. Examples include rosebuds or rose petals, lavender spikes or any other type blossom.

Snip the stem and foliate pieces from the flower, leaving only the blossom. To do this, snip just beneath the peduncle of the flower. The peduncle is the hiplike curvature that connects the flower to the stem.

Choose a mould of appropriate size. For small flowers, a metal ice cube tray provides an adequate number of small moulds. For larger items, such as grandiose rose blossoms, a soap crafting mould of any shape will work. Spray a fine mist of non-stick cooking spray into the mould you've chosen.

  • Snip the stem and foliate pieces from the flower, leaving only the blossom.
  • For larger items, such as grandiose rose blossoms, a soap crafting mould of any shape will work.

Plug in the hot glue gun and insert a glue stick. Allow the gun to heat up for five minutes. A standard craft glue gun and glue sticks are adequate for this technique.

Squeeze the trigger of the glue gun firmly to release the molten glue from the gun tip. Lay a thin coating of glue on the bottom of the mould.

  • Plug in the hot glue gun and insert a glue stick.
  • Squeeze the trigger of the glue gun firmly to release the molten glue from the gun tip.

Situate the flower so it is in the exact centre of the mould, with the blossom side facing upward. The peduncle of the flower keeps it elevated slightly.

Squeeze the hot glue into the mould, filling the space around the blossom, then covering the blossom itself. Do not apply too thickly over the blossom. One quarter of a 10-inch glue stick fills an ice cube reservoir. An entire 10-inch glue stick can fill a 113gr. mould.

Let the hot glue sit in the mould for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on its size. Tip the mould upside-down and allow the glue-coated flower to slide out. This "encased" look allows you to use the flower in homemade jewellery, as a scrapbooking embellishment and in other floral crafts. Wipe off any residual cooking spray on the flower with a dry cloth.

  • Squeeze the hot glue into the mould, filling the space around the blossom, then covering the blossom itself.
  • Tip the mould upside-down and allow the glue-coated flower to slide out.

WARNING

The petals of some blossoms may wilt slightly or change colour in the glue. The glue may dry cloudy, especially when the coating is too thick. The thinnest coating of hot glue over the blossom should produce the brightest results.