Floristry is the art of creating paintings from dried leaves and flowers. An experienced master florist can determine for himself what tools and materials he needs in his work. But it is difficult for a beginner to navigate in an unknown business. Therefore, I have compiled a list of what a novice florist will need.
For collecting and drying plants
- Newsprint or books. It has been a constant storage device for dry leaves and flowers for many years. In books, magazines or newspapers, dry leaves do not change their color for many years. In addition, the book will serve as a good press and give the leaves and petals a convenient shape for applications.
- A knife for cutting plants. Soda scissors may work as well. The most important thing is that the instrument is sharp. If you are cutting non-wild flowers, then do not forget to wipe the knife with a towel so as not to spoil the flower variety.
- Absorbent cotton wool will help you maintain the natural shape of the flower. This is necessary for voluminous compositions.
- The album for the herbarium is very easy to use. It's good if you have several albums. You can classify them by the color of the plants or by their type.
- Herbarium mesh is a convenient device that is not difficult to make on your own. But if there are not many samples in your herbarium, you can safely do without it.
- A thermostat, like a herbarium net, is necessary if you are seriously engaged in floristry. Making it is also not difficult. It is a cabinet heated by electric bulbs.
To make appliqués
- The cutter is an oblique knife. With this knife it is very convenient to cut the stems of plants, make blanks, etc.
- Scissors in various sizes. You will need more than one pair of scissors for high-quality applications. You can use large scissors to cut background paper, etc. But for small parts, they will not work. To do this, you should purchase nail scissors with straight and rounded ends.
- Pencils are an indispensable tool for any creator. Florist is no exception. After all, any of his work begins with a sketch.
- Thick cardboard or fiberboard will serve as a reliable basis for the picture.
- The background material can be varied: black or colored paper, cardboard, velvet and corrugated paper, various fabrics, foil and much more.
- The tweezers will help to deal with small details that cannot be handled.
- Passepartout makes the job complete. It can be made from Whatman paper or cotton fabric.
- Ready-made frame or separate glass for painting decoration.
- Tracing paper and carbon paper for transferring the sketch to the work surface. And also for creating templates for some details.
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The best glue is PVA, it is better to buy it at a hardware store. It leaves no residue at work and holds parts firmly in place.
- Glue brushes will help you get the job done more neatly.
Enjoy your creativity!
