Object of Desire: A Handmade Herb Press from Arminho

I still have a violet that my aunt mailed to me in a letter in the early 1970s—pale purple and very brittle now beneath yellowed cellophane tape. When I look at it, I get that summer back: the heat of the sun on my shoulders, the smell of my aunt’s cut lawn, the talent she had for spotting one tiny flower growing among the green blades of grass.

Anyone can make memories with a flower press. I’m particularly partial to this simple herb press with a wooden cover, made by Arminho in a studio in Porto, Portugal.

Photography via Arminho.

Arminho’s herb presses have gold foil letterpress covers and come with eight sheets of recycled cardboard on which to press herbs, flowers, or fronds. A rubber band holds the wooden cover snugly in place to apply pressure.

N.B.: For more pressed flowers, see DIY: Tips to Press Flowers from MR Studio in London and The Ultimate Pressed Flowers.