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Serious question, I keep seeing people try to press flowers in old books without using parchment paper first.
The moisture transfer will permanently stain the pages and ruin the flowers, so I always cut squares from a baking sheet I bought at the dollar store in Cleveland to layer between them.
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the_miles2d ago
Honestly, I've pressed flowers directly into phone books and old novels for years and never had a problem. The stains add character, and my flowers turn out fine, a little moisture never hurt anything. I feel like the parchment is just an extra, fussy step that isn't really needed if you're using a heavy enough book.
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joel_martinez2d ago
Ever try pressing a really juicy stem? That's where I learned my lesson. I used to be like @the_miles, just tossing things in books, until some damp dandelion greens basically glued my favorite paperback shut. Now I just use a cut up paper bag between the flower and the page. It's not fussy, it's free, and my books don't get wrecked.
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uma_ellis2d ago
The stains add character" works until you press something with a lot of pigment. I read a forum post from someone who ruined a first edition with dark purple pansies. The moisture didn't just stain, it made the pages stick together and tear. Their "character" was a ripped, blotchy book.
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