Flower Pounding Nature Preschool Craft

For thousands of years objects in nature have been used to dye fabrics all colors of the rainbow! You can show your preschooler this technique by pounding flowers on fabric and using the resulting subtle tie dyed look to decorate his/her room. Make pillows, decorate curtains, pound out quilt squares - the possibilities are numerous! Experiment with different flowers and foliage to get the look you want. (Yellow daisies and purple agapanthus work really well!)

What You Need

100% Cotton Fabric – pillowcase, curtains, muslin, etc.
Hammer – regular hammer works best but you can use a rubber mallet
Flowers – pick up a mixed bouquet from the store or choose some from your garden

How to Make It

Step One:
Lay out your fabric on a flat, firm surface. You will be hammering on it so make sure it won’t be damaged.

Step Two:
Cut the heads off of the flowers and let your preschooler arrange them on the fabric in whatever fashion they choose.

Step Three:
Cover up the flowers with a second piece of fabric, or fold the fabric in half sandwiching the flowers between. If you are using a pillowcase, turn it inside out and put the flowers inside.

Step Four:
Pound away! Let your preschooler hammer it and watch the colors appear! An adult may need to help with this because certain flowers need a little extra strength.

Step Five:
When you get the desired look, brush the flower residue off of the fabric. Let it sit over night then hand wash it and dry it. (With repeated washings, the colors may fade.)

Variations

Try this same technique with paper and make greeting cards for family members. You can decorate curtains, quilt squares, and more using this technique

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