words Alexa Wang
Roses are red, violets are blue. If you want them to last longer, read on and we’ll tell you.
There’s no denying how gorgeous a flower arrangement can be. The vibrant hues of fresh petals coupled with intricate details and arrangement are such a beauty to behold.
Unfortunately, this beauty will last only for a few days or weeks depending on how much you take care of them or how long is the lifespan of the flowers.
But like we’ve said at the beginning of this article, we’ve got a trick up our sleeve that we’re about to tell you. In this piece, you’ll learn everything (okay, almost everything) about the technique of making dried flowers.
What are dried flowers?
Dried flowers are the gorgeous results of different processes like the pressing technique that purposely dries the flower to make them last longer without eliminating its beauty. It may look like nothing like the original, but the preservation technique results in a different kind of flower charm
The dried flowers are often used as bouquets, wreaths, hats and other decorative items in walls, and windows. They’re pretty much like the fresh flowers but the difference is that they can last for months, even years!
Different Ways to Dry Flowers
Pressing
This is an easy and quick fix. The pressing technique is best for flowers that have flat faces like pansies, daisies, violas, and petunias.
What you need to do is simply place the flower in between two sheets of either newsprint or blotting paper then weigh them down with a heavy object.
Let them dry for two to four weeks.
Air-drying or Hanging
Air-drying is also one of the easiest drying processes that you can do at home.
Prep the flowers by removing leaves and tying the stems altogether using a wire. Then hang the flower bunch upside down in warm, dry and dark areas in the house like an attic, closet, or pantry.
The time of air-drying may vary depending on the type of flower being dried. Just check them after a week and decide if they’re good to go. If they feel crisp, it’s probably enough. Bring them down and store them in a paper bag or boxes.
Using a Dehydrator
Dehydrators are not only for drying food items but also for drying flowers. If you use this appliance, you can keep the flower’s form and shape, retain the colour, sometimes even their scent.
When using a dehydrator, you must spread the flowers in one layer and don’t let any petal or stem overlap with each other.
Preheat the machine to 100°F or 95°F if the flowers have thin petals and leaves and 110°F if these parts are thick.
To intensify the fragrance of the flower, you can add 100 drops of essential oil. Check the flower every hour and see if the process is working. It may take you 4 hours of waiting before taking them out completely.
To check whether the technique worked or not, see if they feel dry and not flexible anymore. If you see these signs, you’ve done a great job! The last thing to do is to store them in airtight containers and put them in a cool dry place.
Fabulous flowers perfect for drying
Not all flowers are created equal. Some are fabulous when dried and some are not. So before jumping into your DIY dried flowers project, take note of some of the flowers that will make the best dried florals collections:
- Globe Thistle
- Celosia or Dragon’s Breath
- Sundaze Blaze Strawflower
- Pansiolas
- Baby’s Breath
- Globe Amaranth
- African Daisy
- Larkspur or Guardian Lavender
- Ageratum
- Artemisia schmidtiana
- ‘Cream Veranda’ Rose
- Hydrangeas
- Lavender
