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June 4, 2006
Preserving Foliage
Today we got a letter from a viewer who was planning on making the “snow globe” project that we featured in our "Bottles Up" episode of Creative Juice. (link below) She was wondering where to find liquid glycerine. She had looked at all the craft stores and could not find it anywhere. Finding liquid glycerine can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack because it is shelved with the soap making supplies. Many large chain craft stores stock the product and you can purchase it online at tons of soap making websites. (links below)
Liquid glycerine is used in everything from soap and lotion making, to fun snow globes, to preserving leaves and flowers. Here is an idea for preserving beautiful leaves with glycerine. Leaves preserved this way are supple and very long-lasting, and they hold their color well.
On a dry day and after the morning dew has dried, pick mature foliage from midsummer through fall. Tender new growth will not absorb the glycerine.
Clean any dust or dirt from the surface of the leaves and remove any imperfect leaves or stems. Crush the stems of the leaves 2 inches up from the cut end using a hammer.
Heat the liquid glycerine to 130 to 140 degrees F in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. Pour the warm glycerine into a heat proof bowl large enough for your leaves. Insert the cut and crushed stems into the bowl of glycerine. Allow them to remain in the solution for up to three weeks. You can also submerge foliage such as ivy and ferns in the warm glycerine. Remove the foliage from the preservative when the foliage is supple and has no signs of brittleness.
Posted by cathieandsteve at June 4, 2006 10:43 AM
Comments
I love this episode, I have children of my own and plus I am getting ideas to become a teacher, and these were great. lucydne lynn
Posted by: LuCydne Lynn at August 2, 2006 4:38 PM
Glycerin is VERY hard to find. We went to 3 different craft stores and 2 drug stores with no luck. Finally we found some at WalMart in the first aid section *go figure*. It's around the antibiotic creams etc. So if you can't find it at a craft store there's another idea for you! Oh and we're having a devil of a time finding the small figurines to use. The craft stores really didn't have the size for the baby food jars. So we're fanning out our search. Good luck!
Posted by: Denisa at August 25, 2006 1:26 PM
I just got some jars of liquid glycerin but I don't know the recipe for preserving flowers, I think the stems have to be soaked in a combination of water & glycerin but don't know the amounts, can any one help me out ? thanks Fran
Posted by: Fran at July 20, 2007 12:07 AM
I heard that you could take pressed leaves and put in solution of 1 part glycerine to 9 parts water for 15 minutes. I have forgotten what to do with the leaves after you take them out. Can anyone help me, please?
Posted by: Richie at October 30, 2007 1:12 PM
