A Victorian Inspired Paperweight Featuring Dried Baby's Breath and Statice

This paperweight was made using some of the small flowers I dried in my earlier blog post (Six Easy Steps to Creating Beautiful, Dried Flowers).

The supplies I used for this project are shown above.  They include tacky glue, foam mounting squares, a swatch of paper to use as the background, some dried flowers, and a brass heart finding.

Once again, I'm using the Heirloom Dome paperweight kit from our shop at PhotoWeights.com.  This is my favorite of the domes we carry because of the beaded design that frames the display area.

The paper I chose for the background came off an old scrapbook cover I purchased to salvage for my craft projects.  If you prefer, you can use decorative scrapbook paper.

TIP:  If you like to go to flea markets and antique shops as much as I do, look for items you can use as backgrounds in your designs such as album covers, tattered books, embossed document folders, and other things covered in leather, textured paper, and fabric.

Place the adhesive side of the mounting board (included with each paperweight kit) onto the reverse side of your background paper.

Using a pair of scissors, trim any paper that overlaps the edge of the mounting board.

Place a double-sided, foam mounting square in the center of the background.  (If you're using old paper, make sure the adhesive will bond to it properly.)  Leave the protective paper over the top surface of the mounting square to keep the adhesive clean.

Apply glue around the perimeter of the mounting square.   The width of your glue pattern will be determined by the length of the flowers' stems and the size of the decorative piece (brass heart) you place over the flowers.

Begin arranging your flowers around the mounting square, making sure each stem is placed directly in the glue.

Layer your flowers until you're happy with the pattern and coverage.  Make sure the flowers aren't thick enough to apply pressure to the back of the decorative piece (brass heart).

After the glue has dried completely, gently tap the edge of the mounting board onto your work surface to remove any loose particles from the flowers.  You can also use a few puffs of air from an air canister.

To finish your design, remove the protective paper covering the adhesive on the mounting square.  After you've cleaned the back of your decorative piece (brass heart) with rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner, gently position it onto the mounting square and press down to secure.

Center the finished design over the adhesive side of the bottom pad and gently press down to secure.

After you've cleaned your paperweight with glass cleaner, place the bottom pad face-down onto the base of the paperweight.

The brass heart I used for this paperweight has a fairly flat back which provided the perfect surface for an adhesive mounting square.  If you'd to use something that has a textured or curved back, such as a piece of costume jewelry, you could glue one or more small wood or plastic cubes to the back to act as risers which would allow you to secure the item to the background while providing enough space to tuck the flowers underneath.

Capturing a Single, Dried Rose in a Dome Paperweight

This is my second blog post in a series that's all about working with preserved flowers.

Last week I showed you how to dry flowers in six easy steps.  Now I'm going to show you how to capture a single, dried rose using our Heirloom Dome Paperweight Kit.  (Available at PhotoWeights.com)

For most dried flower arrangements, with the exception of pressed flowers, you'll need to select a hollow dome because they have the extra ceiling height you'll need.  Something I really love about these domes is the fact that they magnify whatever they display.  This will add a lot of interest and dimension to your designs.

For this project you'll need the following supplies:

Heirloom Dome Paperweight Kit
Dried rose (or other flower)*
Swatch of background paper (any color you like)
Tacky glue
Small paint brush

* You'll need to select a flower that will fit within the display area of the paperweight. The thickness of the flower must fit the bottom recess.  The bottom recess is the ceiling height of the hollow area within the dome.

Step 1:  Place the adhesive side of your mounting board (the round disc shown above) onto a scrap of colored paper.  This will act as the background to apply the flower to.  I used some textured, black paper left over from another project.  I thought a black background would really bring out the color of the orange petals.

Here's a tip!  If you don't have any colored paper available, search the pages of a magazine or catalog for small sections of color you can clip out.  You can also print some color on a sheet of white paper using an inkjet printer.

Step 2:  If the flower has any loose petals that need to be secured, gently apply glue to the underside of the petal and lay it on the petal below.   (I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue.)

Step 3:  Apply glue to the bottom of the flower, making sure to cover the lower petals (not quite to the edge).

 Step 4:  Glue to the flower to the center of the mounting board that was covered with paper in Step 1.

Step 5:  Once the flower is secured to the mounting board, center the board onto the adhesive side of the bottom pad and press into place.  This will frame the mounting board with an adhesive area that will bond it to the bottom of the glass paperweight.

Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours, or refer to your glue's instructions.

Step 6:  Place the flower (face down) into the recessed space on the bottom of the paperweight by centering the bottom pad over the base.



That's it!  In just a few steps you can create a flower paperweight that looks like it was purchased from a high-end boutique or museum store.

I hope you'll return to my blog as I add more paperweight design projects made with preserved flowers.

Six Easy Steps to Creating Beautiful, Dried Flowers

Because the art of drying and pressing flowers has become more and more popular, I wanted to create a series of blog posts to walk you through the steps involved in drying, pressing, and using small bouquets of color in a variety of paperweight designs.  You'll see how flowers and floral accents can be used as focal points or to simply lend a touch of natural elegance.

If you're drying flowers for a paperweight (available at PhotoWeights.com), it's important to choose flowers that are small enough to comfortably fit within the paperweight's display area (length, width, depth).  I'll explain more about this in my design posts.

Here's what you'll need:

     A variety of small flowers and greenery
     Silica gel crystals
     Air-tight containers with lids (at least 3-4" deep)

Be sure to read and follow the safety information and instructions that come with your silica gel.

Step 1:  Pour at least 1-2" of silica gel crystals into your container.  The silica needs to be deep enough to gently sink the base of your flowers into so they'll remain upright.

Step 2:  When preparing flowers for drying, remove the stems by cutting across the hip.  This will reduce the thickness of the flowers and create a somewhat flat bottom, making it easier to lay them on a background.

Step 3:  Place the flowers into the silica, sinking them slightly into the crystals so they remain upright.  Be sure there is separation between the flowers so they don't touch.

Step 4:  Cover the flowers with the silica by slowly sprinkling the crystals over them.  When the petals are nearly covered, gently tap the container on your work surface to help fill in any voids or gaps.  Slowly sprinkle more silica into the container until the flowers are completely hidden.

Step 5:  Place the air-tight lid on the container.  For small roses, store the container in a cool, dry place and allow them to remain in the silica, undisturbed, for at least 5-6 days.  Larger flowers and flowers with thicker petals will require additional time.  (Refer to the directions that come with your silica gel.)

Be sure to clean up any silica gel that may have been spilled in your work area.

Six days later...

Step 6: After the right amount of time has passed, slowly pour the silica gel from the container into a large bowl.  Gently remove the flowers from the silica and shake each one gingerly to remove any excess crystals.

The silica gel is reusable, so place them in an air-tight container for future projects.

Again, be sure to clean your work area to clean up any silica gel that may have been spilled.

Your flowers are beautifully preserved.  


Small Accent Flowers and Greenery

Small accent flowers and greenery can also be dried using the same process.

I hope this project will inspire you to pick a few flowers from your garden, or visit a local florist, so you can create dried flowers of your own.  They're perfect for paperweights, shadowboxes, and a number of other decorative crafts.

My thanks to Connie at Black Tie Floral in De Smet, SD, for providing me with the beautiful flowers I used in this post.

DIY Retro Telephone Dial Dome Paperweight

The idea for a rotary dial paperweight came to mind last week when I was going through a box of old, forgotten things and found a rotary dial phone I purchased years ago.  I thought it would be the perfect throwback design for the modern desk.

If you'd like to use the .jpg image I worked with, you can download it here from our website.  The artwork may be sized to fit the paperweight style of your choice.

I used the Large Dome Paperweight Kit for this project because I thought the magnification qualities would bring a lot of interest to the design.  In the photo above, you can see how the Large Dome magnifies our instruction card.

The Large Dome has a mounting board that measures 3 1/4" in diameter.  Because of the shape of the paperweight, there is an area toward the edge that will not be visible.  I sized the dial smaller than the mounting board and added a black background in the "void" area.

My artwork was laid out in MS Publisher and printed onto quality photo paper using my inkjet printer.  If you don't have a publishing program, a word processing program with drawing capabilities and an image editing feature should work nicely.

The adhesive mounting board (included with each paperweight kit) was placed on the reverse side of the printed artwork.

Tip:  Holding the artwork up to a bright window is an easy way to see the image from the back, allowing you to place the mounting board in the perfect location.

Any areas of the paper that extended beyond the edge of the round mounting board were trimmed with scissors.

The mounting board (with artwork attached) was placed face down onto the bottom of the paperweight.

To finish, I covered the base of the paperweight with the adhesive bottom pad (also included with each paperweight kit).

Tip:  To keep a dome paperweight level while applying the bottom pad, place the paperweight on a bag of dried beans or popcorn kernels.


I hope this project will inspire you to create your own designs, turning ordinary photos into extraordinary accessories for your desk.

Turn a Mary Engelbreit Greeting Card Into the Most Adorable Paperweight

Mary Engelbreit is one of my favorite artists because her designs are so warm and charming.  This is why I'm such a huge fan of American Greetings' line of cards featuring her artwork.

When I was shopping for Valentine's Day earlier this month, this sweet card caught my eye.  I knew it would make the most adorable paperweight.

The list of supplies for this project is very small.  I used the Large Rectangle Paperweight Kit, a Mary Engelbreit card, and some double-stick foam tape.  I also used something PhotoWeights just introduced, a display area template.  These templates are reusable and available for just 50-cents each.

My challenge with the greeting card was the fact that there were several inches of space between the little girl and the heart-shaped balloon (as you can see in the photo above).  I easily solved this problem by cutting out the balloon and placing it closer to the girl.  The balloon was attached with double-stick foam tape, raising it about 1/8" above the background.  This transformed it into a dimensional embellishment

Using the display area template, I traced a cut line around the area of the image I wanted to appear in the paperweight.   I recommend using a pencil for this step.

Cut around the outside of your traced line with a pair of good scissors.  Any visible portions of the line may be gently erased.

Adhere your artwork to the adhesive mounting board that comes with each paperweight kit.  This board is the same size as the template, so your artwork should fit perfectly if you cut just outside the trace line.

The heart balloon was carefully cut out with a pair of good scissors.  I placed a square of double-stick foam tape on the back, far enough from the edges that it would not be visible from the front.

The heart-shaped balloon was placed onto the artwork from the card, lining up the string.  Because this string extends all the way to the edge of the card, the balloon had to be placed close to the edge to cover it.

Any materials you place on the mounting board that extend beyond the edge can simply be trimmed.  (This is the top part of the balloon).

The mounting board (with artwork attached) was placed face-down into the recessed area on the bottom of the paperweight.

To finish, the base of the paperweight was covered with the self-adhesive bottom pad that's also included in each paperweight kit.

The next time you find yourself walking down the greeting card aisle of your local store, spend a few moments looking through the hundreds of greeting card designs that are available.  Which ones will you want to capture in a paperweight?

Turn an Antique Watch Case into a Shabby Photo Frame for Your Paperweight

Craft stores are carrying more and more metal embellishments that resemble small, antique parts and trinkets.  The "idea-ology" line by Tim Holtz is one of my favorites.  This line includes metal gears, frames, watch faces, and all sorts of other findings.

For this project, I wanted to use a few items from my personal junk drawer.  This is where I keep anything from scraps of paper, fabric, small metal pieces, broken costume jewelry, and any other baubles that can be used in my paperweight designs.

The photo above showed the items I used to create this paperweight.  They include the Heirloom Dome Paperweight Kit, an antique watch case, a scrap of lace trim, a printed photograph, some printed name banners, and some paper torn from an old album cover.

Each paperweight kit includes a pre-cut, self-adhesive mounting board.  I covered the board with a scrap of textured paper that had been salvaged from the cover of an old photo album.  Any paper that overlapped the edge of the board was trimmed with scissors.

If you have an original photograph that you don't want to ruin, scan the image into your computer and paste it onto a page in a desktop publisher or word processing program.  Measure the opening of the watch case and size your image to fit.  Use your program's drawing tool, draw a circle over the image (very slightly smaller than the opening of the watch case).  When printed, the circle will act as your cut line.

After you've cleaned the watch case to remove any dirt or dust, place a generous amount of glue in the center (not so much that it will ooze out from under the photo.  For this step, I recommend a tacky, liquid glue which will allow you to move and position the photo once it's in place.  I prefer Elmer's Craft Bond Fabric & Paper Glue because it's permanent, acid free, and remains a little flexible once it's dry.

After the photo is placed in the watch case, press down gently to evenly distribute the glue behind it.

I used an old wristwatch case, so I looped a scrap of lace trim through the metal loops that held th old band in place.  I applied some hot melt glue to the back of the case to prevent the lace from sliding back and forth.

The watch case was attached to the center of the mounting board with a generous amount of hot melt glue.  I pressed the case into the hot glue to keep it thin and level without being visible from the side.

The lace was trimmed, wrapped around the side of the mounting board, and set in place with hot melt glue.

If you're working with a photograph of a relative or someone you know, it's always nice to identify them.  Using Word, I designed a small name banner by creating narrow, long boxes with a name centered in them.  The boxes have a light gray border for the cut line.

The name banner was positioned at a diagonal over the lower edge of the watch case.  A small amount of glue was used to adhere the banner to the front of the mounting board, toward the edge.  The ends of the banner were wrapped underneath the board and taped down.

Because a fairly large, dimensional item was used in the design, the paperweight was assembled a little differently.  I placed the adhesive side of the bottom pad face-up onto a flat surface (above left) and positioned the completed design in the center of the bottom pad and pressed it down into place (above right).

The final step was to center the bottom pad to the base of the paperweight and carefully lower into place.  The edges of the bottom pad were pressed down to help ensure a tight bond.

If you don't have a junk drawer of your own, now is the perfect time to start a collection of trinkets.  It's amazing how much design inspiration can come out of a box of small tidbits!

The 50 Best Art Fairs in America

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival - Winter Park, FL
(Photo credit: Little_Karen, Flickr)

ArtFairCalendar.com recently published their list of the 50 best art fairs in America.  Is your favorite on the list?  Maybe you'll even discover a new show that's a short distance away.

Here is their list of the top ten art fairs, as voted on by thousands of readers:

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Winter Park, FL  (March 21-23, 2014)
    All the artists want to be in Florida in the winter, consequently this beautiful show receives a record numbers of applicants. Survey says: "Great variety of quality artists." "The art is incredible. I travel over 1,000 miles for this show." "Excellent quality of art, perfect climate, good mix of activities for every age and budget."

Old Town Art Fair - Chicago, IL  (June 14-15, 2014 )
    In the Old Town Triangle neighborhood this fair is Chicago’s favorite. Survey says: "Quality art, in a beautiful neighborhood." "The variety and quality of artists is especially good, continually changing." "The added benefit of the architecture/historic neighborhood and the walking tour of hidden gardens, makes for a very family-friendly art fair."

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original, Ann Arbor, MI  (July 16-19, 2014)
    Survey says: "Great venue, I always see great quality and that "wow" factor." "Four art fairs together, what's not to love?" "Best mix of quality and creativity, price range and diversity of art. It just keeps getting better!" Actually ALL the Ann Arbor Art Fairs are one big event that are attached over MANY blocks of Ann Arbor. I love it!"

Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, IA  (June 27-29, 2014)
    Survey says: "Good art, good people, good food, good vibe!" "The people in Des Moines go all out to make this festival great for everyone. Intriguing kids activities, emerging artist programs, and a selection of the best artists in the country." "It's just so much fun, every year!" The artists chosen to present their work are the best I've seen."

Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Miami, FL  (February 15-17, 2014)
    Always on President’s Day weekend on the shores of Biscayne Bay under the palm trees. Survey says: "The artists and the setting is beyond compare!" "Quality, variety and 350 exhibitors." "Everything is beautifully displayed and convenient in a beautiful waterfront setting, with great food and music too."

 La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA  (March 6-9, 2014)
     Survey says: "This is the classiest event in the country! Very upscale from the artists to the patrons." "Quality of art in the most stunning setting!" "Location and quality and diversity of the art is exceptional." "It is outside, diverse artists, pricing for everyone - just quality all the way in every way."  

One of a Kind Show, Chicago, IL  (December 5-8, 2013)
    Downtown Chicago's Merchandise Mart is a great setting for holiday shopping. Survey says: "Awesome, awesome unique art!" "It is indoors and right before the holidays, with a wide range of vendors, media, and artists from all over the USA & Canada." "They have the best selection and a wide range of prices."

Krasl Art Fair, St. Joseph, MI  (July 12-14, 2014)
    Set on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan, visitors fall in love with this show. Survey says: "Quality art and wonderful setting."  "I love the Lake Michigan setting and the people that come to the fair." "Beautiful atmosphere, perfect venue, in a premier location with excellent art and kind people." "Wonderful art under large shady trees."

American Craft Exposition, Evanston, IL  (August 22-24, 2014)
    Showcasing the country’s finest craftspeople, this prestigious, juried indoor exposition and sale of fine craft includes one-of-a-kind pieces, quality collections and uniquely creative artwork. Survey says: "This show has the best artists and art." "Beautiful and unusual assortment with great artists." 

Cherry Creek Art Festival, Denver, CO  (July 4-6, 2014)
    A great excuse to plan your summer vacation in Colorado is this well-managed exciting show. Its central location draws the best artists from East and West. Survey says: "High quality artists and high quality of art." "The diverse art keeps bringing us back." "We plan our holidays to attend this show."

You can read the full article at ArtFairCalendar.com or view a complete list of the top 50 art fairs in dated order.