Introduction to Oshibana: The Japanese Art of Pressed Flowers

The beginner's guide to oshibana — the Japanese art of turning pressed flowers into pictures, cards, and keepsakes Oshibana has been practised in Japan for centuries. It starts where botanical pressing ends: instead of collecting specimens, you compose them into pictures — a meadow landscape assembled from larkspur and fern, a greeting card made from a single violet, a pendant sealed around a forget-me-not.

This book covers everything you need to begin:

The history of oshibana from sixteenth-century Japan to the current revival Setting up your workspace, choosing a press, and gathering the right tools Which plants press well and which to avoid — with a reliable species guide for UK growers and foragers Four pressing techniques: traditional press, book pressing, microwave, and iron Composition principles drawn from Japanese aesthetics: negative space, wabi-sabi, colour theory Eight step-by-step projects including a framed landscape, greeting cards, bookmarks, a jewellery pendant, and a four-seasons piece How to preserve, frame, and display finished work so it lasts for years No art training required. No garden needed. If you can use scissors and a glue stick, you can make beautiful things with pressed flowers.

Introduction to Oshibana is a practical guide for beginners who want to slow down, pay attention, and make something worth keeping.