This batch of artichokes I got from my supermarket for FREE. Yep. FREE… which makes them even more awesome. They were sitting on the shelf, they looked a little pekid and I went for it. I asked if they had any new stock that they were going to replace them with and low and behold… yes. Just arrived that morning. ShazAAM! They gave me the slightly lifeless ones for Nada. Off I went with DIY on the brain.
As you know, my mother taught me to do this when I was young. It is SOOOO stinking easy and because they are dried, and then painted I get at least 2-3 seasons out of them. Past that I just get new ones and redo because I just like to do it and after a while they get kinda weird.
Anyway, turning these into roses is crazy easy.
Step One…
Starting at the bottom of the Artichoke carefully fold IN each leaf – tucking it into itself.
Work your way all the way to the top of the Artichoke.
Place them in a low humidity room for 2 weeks or until they are visibly dry looking and physically feel a little crunchy. I put them in our disgusting garage right next to the Dehumidifier.
When they are dry they are ready to paint. You can keep them in their natural state but by the time they are completely ready they will be kind of an ugly color. Plus the paint seals them so I recommend going that route.
This batch I obviously went shiny Copper with. I have half of the batch reserved to paint Gold for the Christmas holiday too so be prepared to see a different colorway later this winter.
I use a combo of hand painting them with Liquid Leaf (copper in this case) and then a finish of spray paint. You can go JUST spray but you will want to wear gloves as it takes a fair bit of effort to get into all of the nooks and crannies of your tucked in leaves.
After the paint dries / cures I use a wooden skewer and insert into the base of the Artichoke. This is best if you want to use them in a floral arrangement. If you are using them in a wreath you will be able just to glue gun them straight onto your wreath form.
See? Easy Breezy Lemon Squeezy. DIY decor at it’s best.
Happy crafting!
XO,
Pippa