Pressed flowers

Here's a nice indoor activity since it's so windy and rainy out!

Pressed flowers are a lovely way to explore the diversity of plants and learn about the many different wildflowers in Ireland.
What you need:
Flowers
Kitchen roll 
Heavy book 
For bookmarks (optional): Strong paper or cardboard, scissors, ruler, pencil, glue, laminator or Sellotape, markers, paint or colouring pencils 

What to do:
1. Collect a variety of flowers. 
2. Put the flowers face up on a sheet of kitchen towel. Make sure it’s the flower is pressed flat onto the kitchen towel but not damaged. 
3. Cover the flower with a second kitchen towel. You now have a ‘flower sandwich’. 
4. Take a heavy book, open it somewhere in the middle and put the ‘flower sandwich’ between the pages. 
5. Carefully close the book. 
6. Leave for a week or longer. 
7. Check if your flower has dried and is pressed flat. Only take the flower out of the book and kitchen towel once it has dried up completely. 
8. You can now use the pressed flower as decoration or you can create an artwork such as a bookmark.