Framing dried floral bouquet

[lise]

I am trying to mount and frame a small wedding bouquet but upon closer inspection, I notice that little bits of the dried moss is crumbling off and I just know that this is going to be a nightmare with the suede mats and all. What can I spray it with to keep the bouquet intact?
Thanks in advance.

[Kit]

Lisa - DON'T TAKE THIS JOB!!! Change your name, leave town, enter the FBI's witness protection program - do whatever you need to do, but DON'T TAKE THIS JOB.

Everyone here has already heard the story about how I once spent half an hour glueing the petals back on a dried rose. I tried very hard to talk the customer out of framing dried flowers but they were from her mother's funeral. In the future, I will be much more hard-hearted.

I know, I know, you've already agreed to do it. You have my deepest sympathy. And if you need more, well, that's what the Grumble is for, isn't it?

Kit

[evergreen]

Within the past couple of months there was a thread on this exact same question... try checking out the archives. I've only attempted this once and so far it still looks great. Once I mounted the flowers, moss and baby's breath on the off white matboard with tole (I wouldn't do this again!) with a warm glue gun, I gave it some good shakes and then I sprayed a TON of Infusium 23 hairspray on it. Like most obsessive framers that I know I did some research. I called many companies who manufacture hairspray and found this one to be tops as far as not yellowing, having all the compounds I was looking for, etc. It also didn't stain any of my matboard and/or paper I've ever sprayed it on. Hope this helps.

[Emibub]

Craft stores carry a spray called Design Master specifically for spraying dried flowers. Or you can use acrylic spray also.

[fttom]

Lisa, go for the stuff(Design Master) that Kathy recommends. It is a quality product. I, too, have used it with success. If you don't spray, (very, very, gently) coat these flowers, you will never, ever get all of the crumbs off of the suede mats. Another option, and something that I always try to do, is to talk the customer into replicating the flowers in artificial. It's not hard to do, usually, and they sure do hold up better over the long haul. Otherwise, there will be crumbs of flowers dropping from these flowers forever. tongue.gif