VIDEO: Design the cover sheet for the herbarium

Herbaria are available in a wide variety of designs, depending on their intended use. For teaching and learning purposes, the individual parts of the plant are often artfully and labeled in flat wooden boxes or drawers. In contrast, a herbarium for internship or school purposes is often more simply designed, sometimes just a booklet filled with self-collected and dried plants and flowers. But regardless of the value of such a herbarium, the cover sheet can be designed to be appealing and natural.

Cover sheet for herbarium - some design suggestions

• If you have made individual small wooden boxes for the herbarium, you should also make the cover sheet of this mostly flat collection of wood to match. Perhaps you even have a talent for painting the wood with flowers and plants to match and writing "Herbarium" on it in old German letters.
• Even if your herbarium "only" consists of a designed booklet or folder, you can make an impression with a pretty cover sheet. Perhaps you still have parts of the collected and dried plants that you can use for the wrapper. Or you can prepare some appealing flowers and parts of plants for this purpose. The parts are artfully (or rather randomly and chaotically) arranged on colored cardboard and carefully (!) Glued on. To protect it, you should cover the collection with clear adhesive film. A light coat of paint (maybe with gold) also looks good.
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• In any case, you should take care with the lettering on the cover sheet. "Herbarium" should be on it in large letters, and perhaps your name underneath. In any case, practice the lettering beforehand or carefully pause a printed lettering.
• The design of the cover sheet with photos can also be smart. Perhaps you took photos while you were collecting the plants or while you were working on the herbarium. So why shouldn't the cover sheet tell a little bit about the genesis of the herbarium?


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More ideas for the front page

• A beautiful drawing goes very well on the cover sheet. If you don't feel like reaching for the pen yourself, copy or scan an illustration. You may also find a stamp with the plant of your choice or a napkin, the top layer of which you can glue onto the cover sheet using the napkin technique.
• Instead of a single motif, you can design a frame with plant elements. This can also be traced, copied or designed using the napkin technique.
• You can design the title based on a historical model. Translate them up if possible Latin and use historical squiggles. Alternatively, write down a long title with accompanying text German and put it in different fonts and font sizes on the cover sheet.
• On the front page you state who collected the plants, when and over what period of time. If your herbarium has a specific topic, include that in your title as well.
• Perhaps you use a coarse, yellowish or creamy white paper to underline the historical touch of your cover sheet.

Additional author: Katharina Schnack