How to create a floating glass herbarium

In this post, I share how to create a floating glass herbarium. A floating glass picture frame is another medium that can be used to display dried pressed flowers. Frequently, you will notice this form of art referred to as a floating herbarium. A floating picture frame consists of two pieces of glass or acrylic held together with a frame. The dried pressed flowers appear to float between the two pieces of glass/acrylic. Not to be confused with a floater frame used for artwork that is printed or painted on canvas.

I am experimenting with this medium and creating a number of pieces of artwork. The video will take you through the entire process of creating a small floating herbarium. The text that follows reinforces points from the video.

Supplies Needed

Here is a list of supplies to make a floating glass herbarium.

• A variety of dried pressed flowers.
• Frame. I used a small white frame that is 4 inches by 6 inches.
• Glue. I use matte finish Mode Podge
• Small container for holding the glue
• Paint brushes. I used a ¼ inch and a ½ inch brush
• Tweezers for picking up and laying down the flowers
• Scotch tape for picking up small pieces of plant material that may fall onto the glass
• 6″ Natural Bamboo Skewer
• Acetone nail polish remover
• Qtips
• Ruler and pencil for design work (as needed)

Design

Take your floating frame apart and use one piece of the glass/acrylic that is part of the frame. Set the frame and second piece of glass aside. Design your picture by laying the chosen flowers directly on one piece of glass/acrylic. Take a picture of your design for reference.

When I lay flowers in a certain pattern, such as a circle, it is helpful to draw the circle first on a piece of paper. Place that piece of paper under the glass to use as a reference for where to place the flowers. This will ensure that the shape you chose stays close to form. I followed this method with the picture below.

Adhering the pressed flowers to the glass/acrylic

Follow this process to glue the flowers.

• Pour a small amount of glue into the container you set aside for this purpose
• Determine where you want to start with the gluing.
• Lift the flower using tweezers and lay it upside down on a paper towel
• Using a small paintbrush, place small dots of glue onto the flower. Be conservative with the glue. You want to prevent the glue from spreading out when the flower is placed on the glass.
• Using the tweezers, lift the flower and place it back on the glass. Use the picture you took as a guide.
• Follow this process until all the flowers have been glued
• Let the flowers dry for at least one hour
• Place the piece of glass with the flowers back into the frame
• Hang on the wall, and enjoy

Dealing with potential issues

The main issue I find when gluing on glass is potential smudges of glue. Because of this, I prefer glass over acrylic. Acrylic floating frames are rather delicate. The method I describe below cannot be used on acrylic. For this reason, I always use glass floating frames.

No matter how careful I am with gluing the flowers, I always end up with a few smudges of glue. Glue is especially visible on the slender stems of flowers. Yes, the glue dries clear, but looking carefully you can see the glue smudges. Therefore, I use the following method after the flowers have dried on the glass.

First, I use the 6″ Natural Bamboo Skewer to ‘scrape’ off any glue I see around the flowers/stems/leaves. I find this effective, however, be careful and gentle. A second method is to use acetone. Apply a small amount of acetone on a Qtip. Use the Qtip to wipe away smudges. Again. be careful.

The second issue is removing fingerprints from the glass. Spray a small amount of glass cleaner on a paper towel. Hold the piece of glass containing the flowers with another paper towel. Hold up to a light to see if there are any prints of stray pieces of plant material. Wipe those away before you place the glass in the frame. Do you use glass cleaner or paper towels on acrylic. This will scratch the acrylic.

Good luck!

Additional Pressed Flower Information

You may want to check out the following post for more pressed flower ideas:

• Creating holiday cards using pressed flowers
• How to create pressed flower art – the summer garden
• DIY: Press flowers the old-fashioned way
• DIY resin coasters with dried pressed flowers
• An easy practical way to store dried pressed flowers
• How to create perfectly pressed flowers using a microwave flower press