Category Archives: creativity

Make Your Own Pressed Flower Jewelry Box

Would you agree that there is something enchanting about pressed flowers? They dazzle the eye with vibrant color and exquisite detail, all the while evoking gentle feelings of nostalgia. Perhaps best of all, pressed flowers cost nothing.

Preserve Your Favorite Spring Flowers by Pressing Them

Do you love flowers? Do you hate to see things go to waste? Are you great at crafting and making things beautiful? If so, our pressed flower jewelry box project is for you. It is the perfect Springtime craft, and also makes a thoughtful gift.

Before you begin making your jewelry box, gather the needed materials:

Small wooden box
2 pieces of white paper
Acrylic paint (your choice of color)
Small paintbrush
Elmer’s glue
Several blooms of your favorite Spring flower (small blooms work best)
Krylon anti-UV clear acrylic sealer (comes in a spray can)
A hardback book

Altogether, these materials should be very inexpensive.

Directions for Making Your Pressed Flower Jewelry Box

Once you have gathered your materials, you are ready to get started making your pressed flower jewelry box. Follow these directions to get a beautiful result:

Carefully place your live flower blooms onto one piece of white paper; do not let the blooms overlap. Open your hardback book and place the white sheet loaded with blooms into it. Cover the blooms with the other sheet of white paper and close the book firmly. Now comes the hard part: leave the book alone for at least a week; this is how long it takes for the flowers to become thoroughly pressed and dried.

In the days you are waiting for your flowers to dry, paint your wooden box with the acrylic paint you chose. You may need to apply 2 coats of paint. White is the perfect showcase color for your vibrant pressed flowers. Allow box to dry totally.

After the week long period, open the hardback book and carefully remove the dried flowers with tweezers. They will be as thin as tissue paper, so be very gentle.

Using tweezers, arrange the pressed flowers into a design of your choice on top of the box. Be as creative as you desire. Remember, this is your creation!

After your flowers are arranged atop the box, carefully lift each dried bloom and dot tiny amounts of school glue (use a toothpick to do this) on the backside of the flowers. Then, lay the flowers on the box and gently press down on them. Do this until all your dried flowers are glued in place. Let arrangement dry.

The last step is to spray your completely dry craft with Krylon clear acrylic sealer. Be sure that the top of your jewelry box is open when you do this; otherwise, the spray will glue the box’s lid shut. You may want to spray another coat of sealer after the first coat is dry. Allow box to dry. Your Springtime pressed flower jewelry box is now finished and ready to be enjoyed!

We would love to see your finished product. Please share a photo of your Springtime craft with us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/segmation).

Is there a specific craft you love to make that uses pressed flowers? Please share with us in the comments section below.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Paint by Number – The Original DIY Project

Colorful Flowers to Plant this Spring

Easy Ways to Prepare Your Home for Spring

Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

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Creative Connections Strengthen Schools

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There is no secret about it: art makes for an exciting learning environment. Art projects are the first introduction to education for young children. Now, with advancements in art education and the creativity of culture, schools are finding additional benefits to these activities. Art serves as a connector that unifies students and strengthens schools.

Even though art programs have been cut in recent years, teachers and administrators are using classrooms as catalysts for creativity. One example of this is how teachers use hands-on projects to promote learning traditional subject matters. In addition, entire schools are coming together to celebrate the artwork of these non-traditional settings.

As a result, art is becoming the ultimate educator. Even without art classes and proper funding, faculties are using creativity to excite students and promote learning.

Teachers Take Charge of Creativity in the Classroom

More than ever, teachers are picking up the slack for consequences of limited funding. Many educators can be found encouraging students to showcase creativity in the classroom. Using art to inform students about other subject areas is proving to be effective and productive. In the end, students learn in memorable ways and create something they are proud to show off. They are expressing their education, making classroom walls the new chalkboards.

Schools Connect Students in Creative Ways

Administrators are encouraging teachers to make art a part of learning. They are celebrating this by coming up with creative ways to showcase art in every classroom. Some are using murals to display art from all students. This encourages community involvement; different age groups learn to appreciate the artwork of other students, both younger and older. More so, collecting all artwork allows students and teachers to feel invested in schoolwide projects. Likewise, it provides a great backdrop for the learning environment.

Art is a powerful tool for education. It can enhance the atmosphere of learning in any school. When teachers and administrators partner together, they can overcome obstacles of inadequate funding that impacts art education. This unifies a school and inspires student communities.

Read more Segmation blog posts about Art Education:

How to Encourage Creativity in Children

Inspiring Digital Art

Reviving Art as the Heart of Education

Be a Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

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Decorate Your Home Office to Inspire Creativity

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The past few years have been tough on the economy as well as on individual incomes. Because of the unstable job market, more and more people these days are turning to self-employment. Being your own boss and setting your own hours are not the only perks that come with being self-employed — having and decorating a home office is equally fun and rewarding. Your home office should inspire peace and tranquility, but should also be a place where creativity abounds. Does your home office need a makeover?

Did you know that you can decorate your home office to inspire creativity? It’s true. Consider the following color chart to decide what shades to paint and accessorize your office with:

Cools — If your job requires a great deal of mental clarity, try painting your office walls a cool shade. Blue should especially foster concentration. Sage is cool in hue as well as trendy, and would be a great choice for someone who desires a fashionable haven of clarity.

Earth tones — Do you need a sense of calm in your home office? How about an increased sense of organization? Consider an earth tone. Examples include white, deep grey, and hot chocolate. Earth-toned walls lend themselves perfectly to bright and cheery accessories (pillows, chairs, pictures, etc.).

Upbeat shades — Does your job require you to be constantly upbeat and in a good mood? If yes, an energizing shade would be best for your home office. Red is the definitive bold color that is known for getting blood pumping. You might also want to consider unusual color combinations, such as raspberry and turquoise or lemon and robin’s egg blue.

It’s amazing the impact color can have on a room, and the effect a well-decorated home office can have on a person’s creativity and efficiency. If you’ve had trouble coming up with fresh ideas and innovations, consider making over your home office. You never know what impressive results will follow.

How is your home office decorated? Has it inspired creative ideas in you? Share with us by commenting on this Segmation blog post.

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/custompublishing/decorating-advice/chishop-picking-a-home-office-wall-color-20120323,0,3881708.story

http://colorchats.benjaminmoore.com/2012/04/the-best-colors-for-a-home-office/

If you enjoyed this Segmation blog post, you are sure to love:

— Use Color to Change Employees’ Job Performance

https://segmation.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/use-color-to-change-employees-job-performance/

— Frans Hals — Dutch Portrait Painter

https://segmation.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/frans-hals-dutch-portrait-painter/

— Gerard ter Borch’s Art Elevated Him to Nobility

https://segmation.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/gerard-ter-borchs-art-elevated-him-to-nobility/

Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)