About 15 years ago I noticed these thistle like weeds growing along road sides. I saw possibilities. I watched them to see if they turned into fluff like most thistles do. Happily I noticed they seemed to dry in tact.
The next fall I collected a large pile of them. After a month in the stock room I noticed they dropped
tiny black seeds, which were easily shook out of them. I painted them metallic gold and featured them on a Christmas tree in the shop. During the open house that year I was informed that they are called teasel.
Three years ago I noticed a spiked weed. It had fuzzy leaves and
stems and in the spring the spikes were covered in little yellow
flowers. Watching them again in the field, I saw that they dried
well and didn't make a mess.
That fall I not only painted them gold, I also put glitter on them.
The glittered spikes were well received in the shop that Christmas season. No one has been able so far to give me the name of these
plants.
Spiked plant with leaves
If you continue to follow my blog I will be showing how I use these weeds in christmas decorating including a "lodge" Christmas tree and mantle.
I thought you would enjoy seeing how I process them.
This is a list of what you will need:
- Wallpaper border adhesive or "Tacky glue"
- Spray cans of high gloss paint
- Metallic gold and/or silver spray paint
- Wire brush
- Paint brush
- Large pieces of cardboard
- Latex gloves
- Jars of loose glitter
When you go out to collect the teasel you might want to wear gloves. The stems are prickly. This year I realized that a wire brush is good to clean the dead dry leaves off the Spike plant. Use the wire brush to clean the stems while outside.
If you have ever painted dried plants gold and it seemed to take an inordinate amount of paint, its because you did not
seal
them first. If they are not
sealed
with oil based paint, they soak up the metallic paint.
Use high gloss oil spray paint -Red for Gold -Blue for Silver- to seal the weeds. The higher the gloss on paint the more oil in it.
To save paint, lay all the teasel or spikes in a pile on the cardboard box material.
Put on your latex gloves.
Hold each stalk individually close to the pile as you spray to cover as much as possible in the red or blue paint. By spraying this way the over spray will also start to paint the ones behind the one you are spraying.
Teasel and spikes to the left painted Red for Gold
On the right painted Blue for Silver
When the gloss oil paint is dry to the touch, the metallic paint can be sprayed the same way the red and blue paint was applied.
You can stop at this point if you want and use the items as they are.
Plants after metallic gold and silver paint is applied.
Apply Glitter
In the past I have tried spray glues and spray glitter unsuccessfully. Last year I had great success with
a slightly watered down :"Tacky glue." This year I used
wallpaper border adhesive
and like it even better.
After the metallic paint is dry, use a paint brush to apply the glue. Put it on
heavy
! It dries clear and won't
show. You can brush the spikes. The teasel stems are more delicate, however so hold the heads against the cardboard and "dab" the glue on.
Brush glue on spikes - dab on teasel
What I like about the border glue is that you don't have to wait for it to "tack up." You can apply the glitter immediately.
Applying Silver Glitter
Put on the latex gloves again. Pour some glitter into your gloved hand. Pat or squeeze the glitter on.
Doing it this way waste less glitter than sprinkling it on. I have also found that less glitter falls off when the glue dries. Keeping some medium weight paper under your work allows you to save and reapply a lot of the glitter that falls. Areas where you can't actually press or pat on the glitter will require some sprinkling.
Spike with silver glitter
Teasel and spikes with silver glitter
Gold glitter
I hope you find this useful and fun. In the next week or so I will show these things used in Christmas decorations.
Please let me know what you think and please tell your friends about my blog.
Bill Gantt