DIY crafts: mimosa, mimosa everywhere!

Make your own mimosa cyanotype print

From yellow to Prussian blue

There’s nothing like a homemade cyanotype print if you want to capture the silhouette of a mimosa branch and create an original decoration. With its delicate leaves and many blooms, mimosa is ideal for this ultra-trendy technique that is generally well-suited to plants. But let’s start at the beginning: what is a cyanotype print? This monochromatic photographic technique was born in England in the mid-19th century. All you need is a sheet of paper (the kind used for watercolour painting), sunlight and two chemicals – ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferrocyanide -, to obtain a superb Prussian blue print. Fear not: the ingredients and instructions for using them are very easy to find in craft shops.

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Une publication partagée par Made in sun | Cyanotypes (@made.in.sun)

We love mimosa so much we want to frame it!

Pressed flowers

To make the most of your mimosa all year round, whatever the weather, you can press it and frame it either on its own or with other flowers or plants. The principle is simple: all you have to do is dry the flowers; you can then keep them for several years. How is it done?

• Cut a sprig of mimosa, ensuring it is not damp.
• Place it in the desired position on a sheet of thick paper or cardboard.
• Place the sheet of paper between the pages of a heavy book, e.g. a dictionary. Place other books on top to ensure the flowers are properly pressed. You can also use a wooden flower press – you can buy one or make it yourself (you’ll find lots of easy tutorials online).
• Wait for 2-3 weeks. You can then remove the pressed mimosa delicately or leave it on the paper and frame your creation.

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Une publication partagée par À l’ombre des herbiers (@alombredesherbiers)

The scent of the South of France

A mimosa potpourri

Mimosa isn’t just nice to look at! It also exudes a very sweet perfume ideal as a home fragrance. To enhance its scent even more, it can be combined with other flowers (rose, lemon blossom, orange blossom, hibiscus, lilac, violet, etc.), spices (vanilla, star anise, clove, cardamom, etc.) and fruit (orange, lemon, grapefruit, apple, etc.).

• Start by selecting your flowers, spices and fruit, and a suitable container (saucer, jam pot, bowl, etc.).
• Place the flowers and fruit (cut into thin slices) on a baking tray and cook for a good hour at 140°C until they are completely dried.
• Arrange the flowers, fruit and spices in the container. Add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil if desired.