Sunprints · An online workshop
Learn to make botanical art with real leaves, light-sensitive paper, and sunshine. Kristi shows you each step, from preparing the paper to rinsing out your first print.
A student sent us this photograph of her work. Ferns, delicate flower heads, and grasses, each arranged a little differently.
Your print can begin with one leaf you like. Make a small print for a notecard, a botanical gift, or a spot on your wall. Kristi shows a smaller-print option in the workshop, too.
The process is called cyanotype. You don't draw the fern or paint the petals. The plants block the light, leaving their impression on specially coated paper.
Kristi shows you how to mix the coating and brush it onto watercolor paper. Let it dry in darkness before printing.
Begin with a fern or another flat botanical. Hold it against the paper under glass, then expose it to sunlight.
Bring the print inside and rinse it. Watch the blue appear around the shapes, then leave the sheet to dry.
A little preparation, then a printing afternoon. A newly filled Jacquard kit is best prepared a day ahead. Allow one to two hours for coated paper to dry before printing, then several hours for your rinsed print to dry afterward. The hands-on steps fit between those waiting periods.
Meet your instructor · Kristi T.
Kristi gathers flowers from her garden and keeps a drawer of pressed botanicals for printing. Ferns are a favorite.
In Sunprints, you'll watch her work at her own table, outdoors, and beside the rinse tub. She explains what she's doing as you see it happen, including how she reads a finished print and what she'd try next.
Follow the lessons in order for your first print. Come back to a particular step whenever you need a reminder.
One payment · No subscription
Get the Sunprints Workshop NowInstant course access. Supplies purchased separately.
Watch the whole sequence or pause after each step. The coating lesson also shows how to divide a sheet into four smaller prints for experimenting or stationery.
Module 1
Set up a printing space with the materials Kristi uses at home.
Module 2
Watch how to brush on an even coat and give it time to dry.
Module 3
Begin with a fern, then try your own arrangement of leaves and flowers.
Module 4
Learn what to look for as the coated paper changes color in sunlight.
Module 5
See the blue emerge, then learn how to dry and display your print.
Your first paper print is enough to begin. These four bonus videos are there when you'd like to try another surface or a different look. Some need extra materials and more drying or exposure time.
Make a botanical tote bag you can carry or give to someone who loves their garden.
Try a leaf silhouette on a smooth rock for a little paperweight.
Explore mottled blues and less predictable textures on paper.
Try warm yellow and orange sunprints alongside your blues.
Watch the lessons and follow along at home. If the workshop isn't for you, email us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund of the workshop price, for any reason. No questions asked. Refunds are issued within 24 hours of your request.
Materials bought separately are not covered by the workshop guarantee.
No drawing or painting experience is needed. You'll arrange real plants on prepared paper and follow Kristi's demonstrations. Start with a simple fern or leaf, then try more involved compositions as you get familiar with the process.
A garden isn't necessary. A suitable houseplant leaf, flowers from a bouquet, or pressed botanicals can give you shapes to print. Kristi teaches outdoor sun exposure, so plan your printing for a bright day. Exposure time changes with the light; the course shows you what to look for rather than promising one timing for every location.
Prepare your supplies first. For a new Jacquard kit, allow the recommended 24 hours after adding water to the separate bottles. Coated paper then needs one to two hours to dry in darkness before printing. The arranging, exposure, and rinse come next. After rinsing, Kristi leaves her prints to dry for six to eight hours and may press them afterward. Most of that elapsed time is waiting, not hands-on work.
The $47 buys the online workshop, five core video modules, four bonus videos, a printable supplies list, and lifetime access. Physical supplies are purchased separately. Budget roughly $50–$75 to start from scratch, or approximately $97–$122 including the course. Prices vary by retailer and by what you already own. Bonus projects may need additional materials.
Follow the instructions and safety label for the kit you buy. Cyanotype materials can irritate skin and eyes; avoid breathing the powder. Wear protective gloves, protect your work surface, and keep tools separate from food use and supplies away from children and pets. Handle the glass carefully. The turmeric bonus uses rubbing alcohol and requires attention to its ventilation and flammability warnings.
The workshop is prerecorded and available on a phone, tablet, or computer with internet access. Start after purchase, pause whenever you need to, and replay a step while you work. The five main modules run under an hour, with about 45 minutes of additional bonus instruction. There are no scheduled classes or deadlines.
It's a one-time $47 purchase with lifetime access to all five core modules and four bonus videos. There are no recurring workshop payments. You can return to the lessons when you're ready to print again.
Email us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund of the workshop price, for any reason. No questions asked. The workshop guarantee does not cover supplies purchased from other retailers.
A fern from a favorite plant. A flower from your garden. Something small that caught your eye on a walk.
Learn the process once, then return to it with whatever you'd like to print next. Kristi's lessons will be there to guide you.
Sunprints · Lifetime workshop access
5 core modules · 4 bonus videos · Supplies list
Get the Sunprints Workshop NowOne payment. Supplies purchased separately.