Hi friend, 

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey into the wild and wonderful world of plants? 

We have an illuminating nature-based project for you (read on) shared in the spirit of these long days of summer and our Online Nature Camp: Herbalism for Kids workshop, which just so happens to be packaged in the annual Herbs & Essential Oils Bundle for this week only.

If you’re looking for a fun project for the upcoming Solstice, or anytime this summer, check out this Summer Solstice Lantern project. Right now, gardens are bursting with color and these lanterns are a great way to celebrate and preserve the abundance of summer.

Materials

Glass jars (with smooth sides)
Pressed flowers
Mod Podge, white school glue, or homemade glue
Paintbrush
Forceps (or tweezers) for ease of picking up pressed flowers
Tea lights or battery-operated lights for children
Optional: 12-gauge wire to make a handle for carrying

Directions

• Pick and press your flowers. We find using a press is the best option (you’ll love our Field Flower Press), but in a pinch, you could also press them between pages of heavy books with white tissue paper to protect the pages.
• Thoroughly clean and dry the jar intended for use.
• Ever so slightly water down white glue or use Mod Podge as-is. We prefer the frosted look of matte Mod Podge.
• Using your artist paintbrush, swipe some of the paste across the outside of one of the sides of your jar. You should cover the side in a thin layer.
• Using forceps, gently lay pressed flowers onto the paste, being careful not to damage petals. You may need to hold sections of the flower down for a few seconds using the forceps to ensure that they adhere properly. Continue this process around the entire exterior of the jar. Allow to dry thoroughly.
• To protect your design, swipe a layer of paste over the pressed flowers that are adhered to your jar. This ensures that they will stay attached and last longer. Allow to dry thoroughly.
• Place a tea light into your flower lantern. We prefer beeswax tea lights, as they burn cleanly. If you are worried about the candles shifting too much, you can add a ½-inch layer of sand or salt to the bottom of the lantern to help hold the candle in place.

Find instructions for making the optional handle and more reading on the blog!