Some believe that a flower is lovely because its beauty is fleeting, but for those of us who want to hold on to that image a bit longer drying those flowers is the best way to keep them forever. Save important memories like prom corsages and bridal bouquets or dry herbs and rose petals to make delicious tea, natural medicines or potpourri. The uses for dried flowers are practically limitless!
Bouquet of dry flowers in glass vase
3 Easy Methods:
- Hanging
- Baking
- Pressing
The type of flower you are trying to preserve determines which method is best. Hanging bouquets to dry is best for roses and lavender. Delicate and wispy flowers do better with pressing. Baking daisies, roses and tulips helps the flowers keep their shape while also holding more of their vivid color.
*Note: Don’t wait too long to dry your flowers. Mature flowers tend to lose their petals as they are dried.
Air Drying – This method is the simplest and needs very little preparation or equipment, but takes the most time. You will need a rubber band, clippers, and a coat hanger (optional).
- Choose your flower(s) right before the blooms reach full maturity. This is important as fully open flowers tend to lose petals during the drying process. Be sure to pick the healthiest flowers as flaws become more noticeable after the flower has been dried. Also, it’s good practice to grab more than one just in case a batch goes wrong.
- Remove excess foliage so that only the main stem and bloom remain
- Trim the stem to no less than 6 inches
- Wrap a rubber band (dental floss or sewing thread work fine too) near the end of the stem and hang it upside down so that the bloom is facing the floor. I like to use a coat hanger for this because you can hang several small bunches from one hanger and this arrangement makes them easier to put up and take down. If you choose to dry flowers in bunches you can use a rubber band to wrap around the bundle of stems. Make sure that it isn’t so tight that it bites into the stems flesh because this could cause rotting. Make sure to hang them in a warm, dark and dry room with good air circulation. (Attics are perfect!)
- Now let your flowers dry undisturbed for 2 to 3 weeks. It can take a bit longer if the conditions listed above are not met or if you are drying a very large bouquet.
- If enough time has passed and the petals are crispy to the touch its time to take them down and mist them with a final layer of protection: unscented hairspray. This keeps the delicate petals from snapping off so easily.
- Arrange and enjoy!
Bake dry – the benefit of this method is that it is much faster than air drying but it is conversely a bit more complex and involves more effort than the air dry technique. You will need a microwave. a microwave safe container and a desiccant (such as silica gel or cat litter)
- First make sure that you have a microwave big enough to suit your flowers
- Then fill the bottom of a microwave safe container (one that you don’t mind sacrificing for this project) with an inch or so of silica gel.
- Gently lay the blossoms face up in the gel and slowly pour another layer of the gel on top. Make sure to take your time until each petal is covered but not crushed
- Put the container in the microwave and bake on a lower level for 2-5 minutes. Everyone’s microwave oven is different so we suggest doing a trial run for the first few flowers to make sure you’ve got the right setting.
- After time’s up and the flowers are dry open the microwave and cover the dish before removing it. Once its securely covered take the dish out. Then open the container a tiny bit then let it sit out for at least 24 hours.
- Use a small paintbrush to clean the gel off of the blooms and then spray them with acrylic spray for good measure.
- Sit back and admire your work!
Pressing – this method is even easier than air drying, but you are limited to what kinds of flowers you can use and takes longer a bit longer than baking methods. You will need a book, some paper, and something heavy to use as a weight.
- Choose a small flower that opens flat (Ex. Buttercups, asters, daisies)
- snip its entire stalk so that only the bloom remains
- lay it between two sheets of paper. preferably paper towels because they absorb moisture well. Pro tip: Add another, more durable layer like card stock or a piece of cardboard for support and to make
- Tuck the bundle into a book (an old one you’re not using and preferably hardback) and lay something heavy on the closed book. Store the book in a warm dry location.
- Wait a week, then carefully replace the old paper with fresh and dry sheets for best results
- Check back in on your flower in another week or so. If the petals are completely flat, crispy and near translucent then they are done and ready to beautify your world forever!
Note: Dried flowers are lovely but still very delicate and are especially sensitive to sunlight which bleaches their color. When placing your dried bouquet be sure that they are not near direct sunlight so that their colors remain true.