Materials
- Cardboard box
- Flowers and leaves from your yard
- 10-by-14-inch piece of canvas or other light-colored cloth
- Hammer or wooden meat tenderizer
- Nailbrush or toothbrush
- Nontoxic glue
- Ribbon
Directions
- Flatten the cardboard box and use it to cover and protect your work surface.
- Place several flowers or leaves on one side of the piece of canvas. Fold the canvas over so the flowers are sandwiched in between.
- With the hammer, pound the materials until they’re flat. (The colors will start to bleed through the cloth.)
- Open the canvas and pull off the smashed foliage (it’ll be wet and gooey) and add fresh flowers and leaves to fill in any bare spots. Pound those between the canvas layers until you’re happy with the colors and design left behind.
- Use a nailbrush or clean toothbrush to remove any last stuck-on bits of flowers and leaves. Allow the canvas to dry.
- Glue ribbon around the edges to finish the place mat.
