I really love to sun print, but I don’t like waiting for the ferns to be ready for my projects. I’ll be prepared next Spring and even now when I want to print and don’t want to take the time to forage through the garden. They are all waiting for me because I’ve preserved them!
Several years ago I tried preserving botanicals, but didn’t have much luck. I can’t even remember what I was doing, but it didn’t work. Enter Sun Andrus, who was a guest blogger for me during our sun printing month on the Fire blog in June. She blogged all about how she preserves her plants for sun printing.
So let’s get started. After selecting the plants you’d like to preserve, make of the solution. You will need hot water and glycerin. I ended up ordering glycerin online since the local pharmacies didn’t carry it anymore. However, I found later that I could have purchased it at our local health food store.
Grab a container that will hold your botanicals. I chose a large one because I needed a lot of room for the ferns.
The formula is one part glycerin to two parts hot water. Pour hot water into your container. Then add the glycerin and mix.
Add your botanicals, one by one, making sure they are covered on both sides by the solution.
When you have finished adding your plants, you need to put something on top of them to hold them down in the solution. I used a smaller container.
Since this container will just float on top, I weighed it down with a couple of landscape bricks.
Leave this alone for several days, giving the solution time to soak into the botanicals.
Then remove them carefully and place on paper towels to dry.
Continue to stack them and then cover the last one with a paper towel.
Now at this point, Sue said you can just wipe them off and use them. I didn’t have time to use them, so I just let them sit in my dye studio and dry.
Yesterday I stacked all of the ferns and leaves with their paper towels into a container with a lid. Here is a look at one of the ferns.
So beautiful! The solution can be used over and over again too, so I put a lid on it and will be soaking some more plants soon.
I’m anxious to play with these ferns, which according to Sue, can be used over and over. Pretty neat! Have you ever tried this?
oohh..I may just have to sneak into my neighbour’s yard and “borrow” a couple of her ferns!
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Another wonderful idea for keeping “green” , and enjoying this beautiful planet. Thanks Lynda!
Lynda, I’m really intrigued by this! In what form does the glycerin come: liquid, crystals, powder? I have never bought any. I wonder if it wouldn’t be available at a craft store as well as health food store or pharmacy? Will have to look for it… thanks so much for your post!
Judy, It’s the liquid you want. Never thought about the craft store.
Dolly, Thanks!
Marsha, I won’t tell your neighbor!
Hi Lynda,
Just beautiful. I will be doing this soon! Thanks for the info. I think we did this when I was a young child with some Autumn Leaves. My mother knew all sorts of things like this and she tried most of them! We make home made bubble soap using glycerin and we’ve bought it at the grocery store pharmacy. Try one of the large bubble wands if you haven’t before, such fun. glycerin and dish soap mixed. Sun printing is in my future. 🙂
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Diane, Thanks. That bubble soap sounds so familiar! Looking forward to your sun printing.
I remember doing something like this but I think I stood the plants in a jar, it was a long time ago but I remember them feeling flexible. Laying them in the solution sounds like a better way to go. Thanks for sharing and I’d love to see them in a month or so to see how they look.
Ellen, I plan on using them soon so we’ll see how they look and hold up. Thanks for dropping by.
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Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
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Wow, I just love your tutorials Lynda. I can’t wait to try this. I have dipped roses into paraffin wax before to preserve them but this sound like a better way to do it.
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Jaime, Thanks! I’ve yet to use my ferns and all, but they are so nice a preserved.
Great idea!
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Oh my gosh am I glad I found your blog. I always thought leaf printing was a one print per leaf affair. I am so glad to see they can be preserved. Thank you very much for sharing this technique!
Lorraine, I’m so glad you found my blog and that tutorial. Yes, I recently taught a leaf printing class and we just used my preserved leaves.They work fine and can be used over and over again! Again, glad you stopped by.
My son loves my elephant ears, do you think this would work on it as well?
Diane, Most any leaves can be preserved, if they are not fragile to start with. I tried preserving kale leaves and they pretty much fell apart.