You will need:
• Fresh clover(since few lawns in Canada are green enough in March to sprout clover, check your local garden centre)
• A 4 x 6 picture frame
• A 4 x 6 precut piece of acid-free matte board(available at art supply stores)
• Wax paper
• A heavy book for pressing(an encyclopedia, dictionary or phone directory will do)
• Scissors
• Tweezers
1. Clip a single clover branch. Make sure it's clean and dry and then lay it flat between two sheets of wax paper.
2. Carefully place it between the pages of the book. Stack a few other heavy books on top and leave it up to a week.
3. Once your clover is pressed, remove it carefully using tweezers and place it on the centre of a pre-cut piece of acid-free matte board. Before you do this, you may want to personalize your project by adding an Irish saying. We chose "ádh mór," which means "good luck" in Gaelic.
4. Secure the board in your frame. Makes a great gift to ward off the Ides of March.
First published in Chatelaine.com's April 2006 issue.
© Rogers Publishing Ltd.
