Pretty Dead Things If you come into my home, one of the first things you
will see is a large display of dead things on top of my book case in my living room. Then, there is the large basket of
dead things by my fireplace. In my kitchen, there are 2 clear canisters of dead things, and well, there are dead things
all over my house. But... They're pretty dead things! :)
You see, these are dried flower arrangements, shells in baskets and canisters, pressed leaves and flowers and
collections of feathers. Here's the trick...we didn't spend one single penny for any of this.
You don't have to either, and it doesn't take any talent what so ever to make beautiful dried arrangements
to display in your home (and dried flowers don't always turn brown or tan! Some of them retain their original
brilliant colors).
Take a good look around your yard. I'll bet you'll find a TON of things you can use to make beautiful arrangements with.
Moss (dries to a brilliant lime or Kelly green), Lichen (keeps its form and dries to a pale green), bird feathers
(which never change color), pieces of bark (which can be used to line decorative baskets), roses, different types of
leaves (especially in the Fall when their colors are turning).... Anything. Even tall grass! When tall grasses are
dried and placed together (yes, these turn varying shades of tan when they dry), and bundled up with a nice ribbon,
they can be VERY attractive in a vase!.
Tips on drying:
To dry grasses, bundle them up with sewing thread and stand straight up in a vase.
This will allow the tops of the grasses to bend a bit and be more 'artistic', while the bases stand firm.
To dry fragile things like Lavender, do not bundle them up. Simply make your arrangement and let them dry there naturally,
already in place. The flowers from these plants will fall at the slightest movement (even when they're still moist).
They dry in their natural colors and, more often than not, will remain fragrant long after they've been dried.
To dry shells simply wash them thoroughly in a solution of warm soap and water using an old toothbrush to
scrub away any ocean or beach debris that may have collected in the ridges of the shells. Allow them to dry either
out in the sun (which will naturally bleach them to a lighter color), or on a window sill, for a day or two.
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