| Decorating tools Contents of your
junk drawer can be framed and hung on a wall
Take one last
look at those old gardening tools before you throw them away or cast them into your next
garage sale. They may have decorating potential, especially if their handles are wooden or
they can be painted to complement the gardening decor in your sunroom.
You'd be amazed at what can be framed - from attractive packets of seeds to flowers you
have pressed or dried in the microwave.
The idea is to personalize the decor of your home by displaying collections you enjoy.
To frame old tools, cover a board with fabric and use small flat-head screws to attach
the heavier pieces to the board. Insert the screw from the backside into the tool. Smaller
pieces can be attached with super sticky Velcro or clear-drying glue. Use a deep frame - 4
to 5 to 6 inches deep - in wood that looks rustic or old, such as oak or mahogany. No
glass is needed.
Pressed or dried flowers or botanical prints can be pinned or glued onto fabric - linen
gives a good texture - and framed under glass.
To dry flowers in the microwave, follow these directions from Virginia Cooperative
Extension:
Gather flowers at their peak or they will turn brown. Cover flowers in a drying agent -
silica gel, sand, borax - in a container deep enough to cover the bloom. Leave a 1/2-inch
stem on the flower, and place it face up on a 1/2-inch layer of drying agent. Carefully
sprinkle enough agent to cover the flowers, and place them in the microwave along with a
small bowl of water. Do not remove the flowers from the agent immediately, but set them
aside for several hours.
Microwave drying times for some flowers:
Carnation, dogwood, Dutch iris, peony - 3 minutes, rotate position every minute and set
aside carnation and peony 12 hours, dogwood 8 hours, iris 10 hours.
Large rose - 3 1/2 minutes, rotate every half minute, set aside 24 hours.
Tulip - 3 minutes, rotate every minute, set aside 15 hours. |
