Get Creative with Dried Teasel Flowers!

Teasel is a common biennial "weed" that has distinctive spiny flower heads. These unique flower heads dry right on the tall prickly stems and are extremely long-lasting in dried arrangements or for craft projects. Teasel is commonly found in fields and meadows and along the roadside. They are more conspicuous in the fall after the flowers have dried and turned to a beautiful golden brown. The stiff prickly stems are great additions to natural fall arrangements.

Cool Critters from Dried Teasel Flowers

My first introduction to teasel critters was at the retirement village of Foulkeways in Gwynedd, PA where my in-laws were living. On one visit, my mother-in-law took me down to the Nature Room where there was a display of various "teasel critters". There were wonderful squirrels, bunnies, woodchucks, reindeer, and you name it, they had created it! It is easy to do - all you need is a little imagination and a few supplies!

The following is an excerpt from the Brandywine River Museum website that describes how to create a cute teasel reindeer. You can substitute beads for the eyes and nose if you don't have the appropriate berries at hand and the legs can be made of twigs instead of soybean pods. Just use your imagination and the materials you have at hand.

Be very careful with the shears, hot glue gun, and scissors. Always supervise young children!

Teasel Reindeer

MATERIALS:

1 small teasel
1 large teasel
2 dried daylily stems
2 golden chain tree seeds
1 small dried red seed

EQUIPMENT:

clippers
pointed scissors
glue gun
wire cutters
clear acrylic spray          
2 white pinecone petals
4 soybeans
1 pussy willow
8" lightweight, green floral wire

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using clippers, cut stem and bract from two teasels. The larger teasel will be used for the body, the smaller for the head.
2. With scissors, trim the smaller and larger teasels where the head and body join. The trimming enables a stronger bond when glued.
3. Using hot glue, glue the trimmed areas of the teasel together. Hold until glue is set.
4. For antlers, cut dried daylily stems to 1-1/2". Use hot glue on ends of stems and insert into small teasel.
5. With points of scissors, make small holes in front of antlers for the eyes, glue in golden chain tree seeds using hot glue. Make a third hole for the nose and glue in red seed.
6. Trim white pinecone petals for ears, hot glue petals behind each antler, slightly to the outside of each daylily stem.
7. Using hot glue, glue in the four soybeans for legs. See picture for placement.
8. Using hot glue, glue in a pussy willow for the tail.
9. With wire cutters, cut an 8" piece of lightweight, green floral wire. Wrap 2" of wire once around body behind the neck and twist tightly. This is the hanger.
10. Spray entire critter with clear acrylic spray.

From: Brandywine River Museum

Now that you have the idea, make up your own critters!

See how many different kinds of critters you can create!