Nature has always inspired artists and craftspeople, whether it be creating a beautiful object featuring plants and animals or painting the walls of a room with flowers to bring the outside in.

Why don’t you try creating your own artwork inspired by nature? Download the activity sheet for a step-by-step guide to pressing flowers. Before you do, take a look at a couple of special objects from the Royal Collection.

This box (known as a ‘casket’) is covered in stumpwork, which is a type of sewing that uses many colours of thread and padding to raise some parts of the surface – in this case, the people. On the top of the box, a shepherdess is sitting under a tree with her dog and is looking after several sheep.

All the sewing on this box was done by hand over three-hundred years ago, probably by a young girl.  Can you spot the other animals?

In 1792, Queen Charlotte asked an artist called Mary Moser to paint flowers all over the walls and ceiling of a room in Frogmore House. Queen Charlotte liked to go to Frogmore to escape the hustle and bustle of court life, and these paintings of garlands and bouquets of flowers brought the garden indoors.

Mary Moser also taught the daughters of George III and Queen Charlotte how to draw – possibly at Frogmore House.

Your turn

Take inspiration from plants and create an artwork of your own. You could draw, paint or, if you are feeling adventurous, press some flowers. When you press plants, you slowly and gently flatten flowers to dry them out. These can then be used to create beautiful pictures.

Download the PDF for a step-by-step guide to flower pressing.

Here are some top tips:

●      Only pick a small amount of flowers, and make sure you have permission to do so.

●      Don’t only pick one species of flower – make sure you leave plenty to grow.

●      Bigger flowers are harder to press, so choose the smaller, more delicate ones.