Hapa Zome is a Japanese word meaning ‘leaf dye’ and is given to the process of transferring the natural pigments from leaves and flowers onto fabric or paper to create a beautiful botanical image.
Materials:
- Square of white or light colored cotton fabric
- Hammer or a fist sized rock that you can hold comfortably.
- Collection of flowers and leaves (use a bouquet from the grocery store in the winter!)
- Sheet of paper towel or an old piece of material you don’t mind dying
- Kitchen cutting board, sturdy table, or board that is ok to hammer on.
- Masking tape (optional)
Start creating!
- Start by heading out into your garden, local field, or backyard to collect a variety of flowers and leaves, bright colors are best. If you are doing this activity in the colder months, head to the local grocery store and pick up a bouquet of brightly colored flowers.
- Place the piece of cotton fabric on your board.
- On top of the fabric place your flowers in the design of your choice.
- Next you can either tape the flowers down with masking tape (so that they don’t move) or simply cover with a sheet of paper towel.
- Once covered grab your hammer!
- Hammer away on your flowers, making sure to hammer any stems and all around the edges of each flower and leaf.
- Peal up the paper towel, and remove any masking tape you used.
- Discard the squished flowers and hold up your cloth to see what you created!
Now that you know how to Hapa Zome:
- Write the names of each flower or its parts on your cloth.
- Turn your cloth into a flag for your room or outdoor space!
- Create a bookmark for your teacher, friend or family member (use thick white paper instead of cloth).