Plant Badge: Heraldry for common Scots

[Donnie]

I've been wearing a sprig od mistletoe in my bonnett over a year now. I discovered long ago that the plant badge identified clans long before tartans did! Wonderful idea!

[Deil the Yin]

When I visited with the Clan Gregor in Scotland, it was VERY popular to place a sprig of the Scots Pine in our bonnets.
Technical Note: I was advised to wrap the broken end of the sprig in aluminum foil to keep any pine sap from getting in my bonnet.

In addition to being our plant badge, I was told it is also a sign of Jacobite sympathy to have a Scots pine growing in your garden (ie yard).

I'm guessing I'm gonna be a bit hard pressed to find Scots pine this far south, but maybe Loblolly will do? Errr... or not. I do have a sprig brought back from the mother country! Would anyone have a suggestion from preserving it, or rather making it permanently wearable? I thought maybe painting it and then covering it in some kind of clear lacquer or some such?

[SteveB]

The Dandelion makes sense as our clan plant, as like us, like it or not, we're everywhere.

[Deil the Yin]

The Dandelion makes sense as our clan plant, as like us, like it or not, we're everywhere.

Muckle kudos to the X-Marks crew for choosing such an apropos plant badge!

[NCMC]

Bump up post.

Does any one have any other technical notes on how to prepare plant bage? Are there general guidelines when placing a plant badge? I would hate to be that guy with a whole bush on a bonnet.

[McMurdo]

Bump up post.

Does any one have any other technical notes on how to prepare plant bage? Are there general guidelines when placing a plant badge? I would hate to be that guy with a whole bush on a bonnet.

I'd say take a look at photos of others or paintings and I'm sure you will get the idea, it's not like you want to go walking around with a tree behind your clan badge. I wear a silk dandelion behind the XMarks Badge. My clan buckler is a kilt pin on my clan tartan.

[JSFMACLJR]

Bump up post.

Does any one have any other technical notes on how to prepare plant bage? Are there general guidelines when placing a plant badge? I would hate to be that guy with a whole bush on a bonnet.

Just pick/pluck/cut a sprig/branch/handful of the plant and stick it behind your crest badge on your bonnet. It shouldn't be too difficult to place it between the cockade and the bonnet itself.

Not difficult at all! If it is, you are trying too hard.

[Chas]

Four XMarkers on a kilt night in Preston, England. No hats as we are indoors, but we are still wearing our dandelions.




At the Harpenden Highland Gathering with a gentleman from Kenya called Peter Myfatherhasthebiggestpotatoes. Note - hat and lapel.



Regards

Chas
:ootd:

[Deirachel]

Would anyone have a suggestion from preserving it, or rather making it permanently wearable? I thought maybe painting it and then covering it in some kind of clear lacquer or some such?

Thoroughly dry the sprig, usually by hanging it, cut side up, on a bit of thread (for decorative purposes, use a color that matches the stem, if you can) in a dry area. Alternately, one can use a dehydrator, a low temp oven, or out in the sun, if you have a good are to do so. If you don't dry it, it WILL rot.

Then, using said thread, dip the sprig into clear epoxy and remove allowing excess to drip off. To make it easy to keep on, you may want to add a small pin to the bottom end of the sprig, or a tie tack pin while the epoxy is still liquid (thick).

Worked for me with my Cumin sprig.