Flower Resource Guide
So you are the lucky recipient of a stunning bouquet of fresh flowers. You love the beauty they bring to any room, but their days are getting numbered...now what?
Instead of tossing flowers past their prime into the trash, why not preserve them in a creative way? Dried and pressed flowers can both be used for a variety of crafts and decorations. Recycle those gorgeous blossoms by using the tips and instructions outlined below.
How to Dry Flowers:
Drying your flowers is easy as 1-2-3! Just remove any unwanted leaves, separate the flowers into small sections and bundle them together with a string. Simply hang them upside down in a warm, dark, dry place.
This method usually takes a couple of weeks. Check on your flowers every 2 - 3 days. You'll need them to hang until they are completely dry to the touch. You can store your dried flowers in a dark, sealed container until you are ready to use them.
Make Bath Oil with Dried Flowers »
How to Press Flowers:
Pressing flowers is a great way to hang on to the beauty of fresh flowers! Just place the flowers between two sheets of absorbent paper - paper towels or blank newsprint work fine - and position a heavy book (phone books, encyclopedias, hardbound classics) on top. You can also insert the flower and absorbent paper sheets between two pieces of cardboard if you are worried about the possibility of smashing the flower.
You can also purchase a flower press from a craft store, or better yet, make your own flower press if you plan on pressing a lot of flowers.
