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SEASONS: FALL | CHRISTMAS | VALENTINE'S DAY | SPRING FLOWERS

Hydrangea Drying Instructions

Supplies and Tools:
Hydrangeas
Clippers
Vases or buckets of water
Hammer

Instructions:

1) Wait until the hydrangeas are well on their way to drying on the bush. When they are ready, they will make a crunching or rustling noise when you touch them. If you cut them too soon, they will wilt and not dry properly.

2) Using sharp clippers, cut the hydrangeas stems to a length of approximately 10 to 12 inches.

3) On a hard surface, use the hammer to pound the last two inches of the stem until they are pulpy or shredded.

4) Immediately place the cut and pounded stems into the vase or bucket of water. If the hydrangeas are going to be used in an arrangement, they can be placed in the vase just as you wish the arrangement to look.

5) Allow the hydrangeas to stand in water as it evaporates. Hydrangeas will be dried in a week to 10 days. Keep out of direct sunlight so that they will retain their color. If the color fades, they can be sprayed with Floral Life or Design Master spray paint for florals. Recommended colors are Hydrangea Green or Hydrangea Blue.

6) Enjoy!

Painted Paper Mache Peaches

There is simply nothing like the taste of a fresh Georgia peach during the hot summer months. In order to copy the shape and coloration of our most famous fruit, I developed this paper mache peach project. It can be quite time consuming and tedious but with some practice, the results are quite realistic!

Materials:
3" styrofoam balls
orange tissue paper
Elmer’s Glue
Water
Bowl for glue/water mixture
Plate for paint
Sea Sponge
Wax Paper
Acrylic Paint: Apricot, Bright Yellow, Dusty Mauve, Tapestry Wine, Satin Cream, Leaf Green, Cranberry, Bright Red
Dried stems
Dried peach pits

Instructions

Shape styrofoam balls into peach shape, cut in half for halves and then again for quarters. Tear tissue paper into 2 to 3 inch ragged pieces. Prepare the glue mixture using a ratio of half water, half glue. Dredge the styrofoam ball in the glue mixture, completely coating it. Be careful not to over-saturate with glue. Apply the tissue paper to the balls, overlapping the pieces slightly so that the entire area is covered. Keep fingers moist with water or glue mixture so that the tissue paper doesn’t adhere to the fingers when working with the tissue.

Place the covered balls on a flat wax papered surface. Turn frequently to avoid sticking. Allow to completely dry. This may take from one to three days depending on temperature and humidity.

When completely dry, paint using sponge in a dabbing motion. Begin with apricot for the base and then use yellow, mauve and wine for highlights. Mix satin cream with paint to lighten and add depth. Use leaf green to highlight around the area where stem will be attached.

For the halves and quarters, use a peach pit to make an impression and then use cranberry and bright red paint in addition to other colors to paint the concave “inside” area.

Affix stem and peach pit using hot glue, if desired.