How to Make a Clover Herbarium for St. Patrick's Day

Making a clover herbarium is extremely easy and so fitting for St. Patrick's Day!

What You'll Need:

- a large frame with glass front

- clovers (from your garden or garden store)

- scissors

- phonebook or newspaper

- heavy books

- glue

- toothpick

From a collection of backyard clovers or store-bought clovers, cut clovers of all different sizes. I cut approximately 30 clovers and used 26 of them in my herbarium. Be sure to cut the clovers when they are open and flat. Some clovers close when the sun goes down.

Once you've selected your clovers, place them about one inch apart in a phonebook or in newspaper. Phonebook paper and newspaper absorbs the moisture in the leaves, helping them to dry. Close the phonebook once you have placed the clovers on the paper. If using newspaper, lay another piece of newspaper on top of the clovers. Stack heavy books on top of the phonebook or newspaper. This will help the clovers flatten and be pressed.

Once the clovers have been pressed (a few days to a few weeks), arrange them on your paper that will be inserted into your frame.

I played around with their design, but in the end, I chose to arrange the clovers in five rows and five columns. For a little interest, I added one extra clover to the arrangement. I like the imperfection it brings to the piece.

Once the clovers are arranged to your liking, insure they don't move from their position. With a toothpick, grab a tiny speck of glue (I used white craft glue) and dot each clover once on its back. Press the clover into its original position. Repeat until all the clovers are secure on the paper.