Are there favorite blooms in your garden that you hate to see fade? Those with the best color and form you wish you could preserve all year? Now you can, by creating jewelry from the garden. DIY jewelry made from plants can save those petals long term.
Botanical Jewelry Ideas from the Past
Jewelry made from plants is not a new idea; in fact, valuable pieces have been made for centuries. The most expensive was crafted using fossilized resin, amber, which sometimes encased tiny insects with all parts remaining. Amber was considered a healing stone and protectant from evil forces of the demonic.
American Indians used botanical parts to make jewelry and healing items in the past. Seeds of the buckeye, juniper berries, and western soapberry were readily available and woven into necklaces. In Mexico, berries of mescal bean and coral bean from native shrubs were used for jewelry made from plants.
How to Make Botanical Jewelry
Today’s botanical jewelry is not usually made from expensive materials. Often, the base of the jewelry is silicone or hard plastic. Look through the pendants (forms) which will hold the petals and select the base for your projects.
Kits are discussed by several sources, containing the materials for multiple pieces for DIY jewelry. If you’re experienced with making this type of jewelry or expect to make several pieces, kits seem to be the most cost-effective means of purchasing.
Getting Flowers Ready to Make Jewelry
Choose the flowers you wish to use and press them to dry. This may take a few days to a few weeks. Dried petals or small flowers should fit attractively into the form. Your plant jewelry design depends on the size of the pendant and of the flowers you’ll put into it. Some pendants will hold more than one small bloom, while other flowers are so big you can only fit in some of the petals.
Position flowers inside the pendant. Cover well-dried flowers with a liquid resin mixture. Add a jewelry bail to attach to a chain. Fit the top cover of the form securely into place. If you’re new to this type of craft, find a blog or book written by someone experienced in jewelry made from plants. This should provide you with tips and tricks to make perfect pieces.
Soon, you’ll be zooming through this fun and simple DIY project with ideas unique to you.
Botanical Jewelry Ideas
There are many other ways to use plants and flower petals in jewelry. Fairy garden jewelry, terrariums in a bottle, and necklaces from air plants are featured online, some with instructions included.
Others use beans, berries, corn, and tree seeds for botanical jewelry. Consider what’s growing in your landscape that is appropriate for creating jewelry from the garden.