When I’m dreaming of my wedding, I think about the picture worthy details. I yearn for perfectly pleated table cloths and polished charger plates. I think each bride has certain details they envision to be perfect on their big day. With this easy DIY, I can help you knock one of those items off your list.
Your Table Numbers
Who doesn’t love the effortless elegance of pressed flowers behind glass? Adding your table numbers to these frames really brings a touch of sophistication to your tables. Pair them with some simple votives and table greenery and you have fully realized and romantic table decor.
What you will need:
Glass floating frames (any style you like)
Glass Cleaner
Fresh Flowers or greenery or both!
Clear drying spray adhesive
Phone book or Flower Press
Table Numbers printed on paper
Painters Masking Tape
Paint pen or acrylic paint with a fine paintbrush
Cotton Gloves (optional)
Press the Flowers
Pressing flowers can be a bit of a labor of love. You should always select clean and blemish free flowers. Try and keep the types of flowers or leaves you press to types that are already flat-ish. A good example would be daisies or violets. Make sure the flowers are not wet, as that could affect the drying time. I used eucalyptus leaves, which every bride knows is wedding essential greenery.
There are lots of ways to press flowers but usually, the cheapest method takes the longest. If you can find a phone book (or large, heavy book), line it with parchment paper. Place your leaves or flowers in the book and arrange them the way you want. Close the book, and let the leafs dry for roughly 10 days. When you remove them they should feel like rice paper, that’s how you know they are done.
A more traditional method you can use is a flower press, it usually involves two wooden plates and some cotton sheets inside. You clamp them together with screws. This takes about the same amount of time as the book but can achieve a flatter, more uniform press.
If you Can, Cheat
The method I used was a microwave flower press. These things are amazing (but expensive)! I put my leaves in the press which is made up of clay plates and cotton pads. You put your flowers in between the pads and clay plates and microwave your flowers for 30 – 60 seconds at a time.
It’s a good idea to have some testers first because it’s easy to overcook them. The cotton and clay suck away any moisture and it leaves the pressings with more vivid colors. I had my eucalyptus done in 60 seconds for each one! You do have to take breaks between the pressings because the clay plates heat up.
Prep your Frames
Take your frames apart and clean the glass really well, inside and out. Once I cleaned them I liked to wear cotton gloves so I wouldn’t get fingerprints everywhere.
Make sure you keep your eyes out for streaks, as those will be difficult to remove once you’ve assembled everything. Let the frames dry.
I picked a font I really liked on my computer and created sheets with the table numbers written out in their final size. Once you have your table numbers printed, cut them out and center them inside the front pane of the frame. Use painters masking tape to secure them in place.
Tracing the Text
Using a paint pen, or acrylic paint and a fine tipped brush, color in the writing on top of the glass. Once they have dried, remove the paper with the table numbers printed on it, and check out your work.
You may need to do some touch-ups with some more dobs of paint. If you made any mistakes, you can use a pin to scratch of the extra paint and finesse the small details. You may need to clean the inside of the glass again, depending on if your tape left any residue.
Assemble and Admire
Once you have collected your dried flowers and leaves, and your frames have dried, you can assemble them. Try placing some leaves inside the frame and closing it. Sometimes this is all you need to keep your florals in place.
If you move the frame around and the flowers are sliding, place the flowers on their faces on some newspaper. Use a spray adhesive and add a light coat with the spray. Then place the flowers right side up, but on the back pane of glass, not the one you painted on. This will make sure you won’t see any of the glue on the front of the frames. Repeat for all your frames!
AND BAM!
Look how gorgeous they are! These table numbers remind me of an English garden party and look so great on their own. Your guests are going to love looking at them, and it’ll make them excited to find their seats!