It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of fall leaves. I collect them on my daily walks. Open any random book in our house and odds are good that a dried leaf will flutter to the ground. And as of late, I’ve become obsessed with specimen-type frames which are ideal for displaying said fall leaves. This one came from Terrain. I’m obsessed with Terrain, too. (But this is not a sponsored post.)
I could say these frames provide a great way to keep fall around year round, or your favorite flower before winter takes it, or a bloom from your birthday bouquet—and all that would be true—but really, I like the overall look of this. Part sleek industrial, part mad botanist, part urban schoolhouse.
Every room in your house needs a touch of organic, and this is a subtle, stylish, artful way to do it. Plus, no watering.
I’ve discovered these frames are not easy to find. The ideal ones have double glass for holding the dried specimen inside. Keep your eyes open at flea markets, antique stores, etc. With a bit of alteration, you could achieve a similar look with vintage frames like this one I found from Pastoria on Etsy.
This standing frame from P. Allen Smith ($14) would work great for this project, too.
Hobby stores and places like Target have an inexpensive selection of floating flames and display cases. Be creative! Find something that fits your budget and bring a bit of the outside in. Your home will be more unique for it.
To add to the whole process of preserving and displaying dried leaves and flowers, I bought a vintage flower press on Ebay. (Something I’ve wanted for a while.) The seller lives only a few hours away in Hot Springs, so obviously it was meant to be—keeping it in the state family and all.
Yes, I could continue to dry my flowers between the pages of books, but this is so much more fun and official. He’s somewhat of a monster and very heavy duty, which I suppose is the whole point. I placed the items to be dried between two pieces of cardboard (to protect the leaves and the wood). In 3-4 days, the leaves will be “ready” for displaying. I see homemade cards in my future…
Here’s another way to use these specimen frames…
I received this handmade lace carnation flower from my pen-pal who lives in Slovenia. When I received it, I knew I needed a special way to display it. I think I found the perfect way by sealing it inside a specimen frame surrounded by a few of the dried flowers from our garden.
These specimen frames + dried flowers would make great gifts, if you could stand to part with them. Do you agree?
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]Every home needs a little organic inside. @ShopTerrain @PAllenSmith #driedflowers #flowerpress[/tweetthis]
Musical Pairing:
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, Autumn Serenade
Clever girl, as usual!
My mother-in-law loved to display photographs of family and friends–loved doing it so much her kitchen cupboard doors were covered with photographs taped to them! I found a accordion-type folding double-sided frame much like your picture but a series of square frames hinged together so it made its own stand. She had an open counter between her kitchen and family room, so I thought it was perfect for her to use on that counter to display photographs she could see from both rooms. Since her death I have had the frame, but I don’t really have a long counter suitable to utilize the benefits of the series of frames snaking along the surface. Your use of the double-sided frames made me think of my sweet mother-in-law, so even though my frame remains in the box, I enjoyed your post. (Actually, it was my mother who loved autumn leaves. When we lived in New England, I gathered colorful leaves, pressed them briefly, and sent her a manila envelope full. She still had those leaves when I went through her things after her death. Your blog made me think of both mothers.)
Thank you for sharing your memories, Lyn! I love that you sent your mother fall leaves. And that you found them later:)
Beautiful post. I love October.