Did you receive stunning fresh-cut flowers as a gift for Valentine’s Day? Are the special event florals from your wedding or prom corsage too gorgeous to dream of parting with? Have you found the most lovely bouquet at the farmer’s market that you’d be happy to keep forever? I love gorgeous fresh flowers but I hate to see them wilt! These four easy DIY methods for preserving fresh flowers are the best ways to hold onto your favorite florals for a lifetime.
1. Hang Dry Your Bouquet
The easiest way to preserve a bouquet is to allow it to air-dry. You can unwrap the bouquet and hang each stem individually to preserve the form of each flower. If you keep it tied up in its current arrangement, it can cause some of the flowers to warp or rot. I like to take a photo of the arrangement so I know exactly how to put it back together!
The only supplies required for this method are twine or ribbon, a hanger, and hairspray. Hang your stems upside down in a dry area with good airflow away from sunlight. Allow the flowers to air-dry for at least a week. Try to avoid touching or moving them while they’re drying to preserve as many petals as possible. Once fully dry, spray the flowers with hairspray to protect them from crumbling and falling apart. Then arrange and display your beautifully preserved flowers! I love to re-create the arrangement and put them in an antique vase.
2. Dehydrate Flowers Using Silica
This method is the best for preserving color and shape! It’s perfect for corsages or any small stemless flowers. It can be used for bouquets and flowers with stems as well, but you’ll need to adjust your supplies accordingly.
You’ll need an airtight container that comfortably fits your flowers, enough silica gel to fill the container, and hairspray. Create a base of silica in the container and set your flowers inside. Carefully pour in additional silica around the petals while making sure the petals don’t bend. Keep in mind that the position your flowers are placed in the silica is how they will be set. Continue filling the container to the top and seal it. After at least one week, carefully remove the flowers and spray them with hairspray. Display and enjoy your perfectly preserved flowers!
3. Traditional Flower Pressing
An easy set it and forget it method! Traditional flower pressing takes the least amount of work upfront but can take up to a month to set. This method retains most of the flower’s original color and will transform your flowers into beautiful framable art!
You’ll need a heavy hardcover book, waxed paper sheets, and a pair of scissors. If you don’t have any spare large books around, you can use a pressing kit. All you’ll need is your scissors. To start, use your scissors to remove as much of the stem as possible. Trim as close to the flower as possible. Next, if you’re using a kit, follow its instructions. If you’re using a book, open it to the center and cover the pages with a single sheet of waxed paper. Crease the wax paper by closing the book on the sheet. Reopen the book and place the flower bud in the middle of the page. Press the flower down and arrange as desired, then close the book. Replace the wax paper once a week. After four weeks, you’ll have a beautiful pressed flower!
4. Press Flowers Using the Microwave
If you love the look of pressed flowers but want quick results, you can use the microwave to speed up the pressing process! This completely safe shortcut will dry your flowers in just minutes instead of a month.
For this method, you’ll need a microwave, two microwave-safe ceramic plates, and coffee filters. Or you can use an all-in-one microwave flower press kit. First prep and trim your flowers as you would for the traditional pressing method. For the plate method, set a coffee filter on a plate and place your flower in the center. Place another coffee filter on top and stack your second plate face-up on top of that. Put your plate-press into the microwave at one-minute intervals. After each minute, check the dryness of the flower and replace the coffee filters. Repeat the process until your flower is completely dry. After that, press your other flowers and enjoy!
