Preserving Dandelion Clocks

Dandelion clocks (always wondered what they were called in the fluff ball stage ~ just found out it's clocks!) tend to remind me of a Dr. Seuss creation.  There is something so irresistible about gathering them up to blow their wishes free. Their ethereal seeds looking like floating fairies dancing in the sky. 

My girls love doing blowing (what they call) "sister wishes" and watching as their wishes drift together in the sky.

I was thinking how neat it would be if we could preserve the dandelion in its fleeting, fragile, fluff ball stage. I loved the idea of having them around all year, keeping the spirit of spring with us and couldn't  help but picture them as fairy trees in a fairy garden.

To preserve dandelion clocks you will need:

thin twigs or dried flower stems

glue

glitter (optional but oh so pretty!)

hairspray

scissors

To begin:

Gather up your supplies and helpers and head to your favorite dandelion filled space.

Mist your dandelion clock with hairspray.

While it is still damp, shake on some glitter.

Allow it to dry in the breeze for a few minutes.

(Wish the glitter showed up better! It really is quite magical)

Gather up the clocks you have sprayed, glittered and allowed to dry.

Cut off the fluff ball top off its stem.

Place a dollop of glue at the end of your twig and attach it to your dandelion head.

There you have it. So simple! So pretty.

Once we completed a few fluff ball trees, we decided they were perfect for the fairies.

Into the fairy garden they went.

They seemed like a perfect fit. What do you think?

I am happy to share that these dandelion trees held up for a very long time. It is wonderful that something so delicate and temporary, can be around for us to appreciate all that much longer. 

Dandelion wishes to you,