Flowers are a beautiful way to memorialize your special memories. Whether they’re a cherished gift given by a loved one, a bouquet that you caught at a wedding, or something that you made yourself for the occasion. Unfortunately, flowers don’t last forever but dried flowers will last for a few years if kept in good condition.
By drying the flowers, you can preserve these memories for years to come wonderfully and even enhance their sentimental value. Using the right techniques is crucial to preserve their beauty and hence without further ado, we present you several different ways to dry flowers fantastically.
To get into the order of things and start your journey of drying flowers, you will need to first gather a few essential supplies listed below:
Air drying is the simplest and the oldest means of drying available to man. To air-dry flowers, select a few fresh flowers and trim their stems to a suitable length. If possible harvest after the moisture dries off the flowers in the morning sun and remove excess leaves to prevent mold.
Once you have prepared the flowers, tie them into a bundle together using a string. Hang them upside down in a dark well-ventilated room to let them air-dry and check-in after 2 weeks. If the flowers aren't completely dry, leave for an additional week if necessary.
Another straightforward method for drying, the idea of pressing flowers has existed since the sixteenth century and is perhaps even easier to carry out than air-drying provided that you have the required materials.
Cut off the stems and leaves of the fresh flowers and then place them between the two parchments of a book. Close the book and put additional weight on top of the initial book with the help of more books to squeeze out the moisture. The flowers should be dry in about 1-4 weeks.
If you don’t have the patience to wait 2-4 weeks for the flowers to dry using air-drying or book-press, then drying by silica gel is an efficient method that you can use. Taking only 2 to 4 days, they preserve the shape and color of the flowers pretty well.
Pour a layer of silica gel into the bottom of an airtight container and place the flowers face up on the silica gel with about an inch of space to each other. Cover the top of the flowers with more silica gel and seal the container tightly. Once they’re dry gently remove the flowers from the container.
If you don’t mind fading some amount of flower colors, then the quickest way for you to try drying the flowers is in the microwave oven. Yet again start by selecting a fresh assortment of flowers and trim their leaves and stems. Pour a small layer of silica gel at the bottom of a microwaveable dish.
Place the flowers facing up and cover them with more silica gel. Once ready, place both the dish and a cup of water in the microwave on medium power with a 1 to 2-minute interval to prevent burning the flowers. Continue microwaving until the flowers are satisfactorily dried.
This is a good alternative to microwave drying as the intense micrometer waves can bleach and dull the color of the flowers. So if you're still in a hurry to dry flowers but also prioritize aesthetics consider whipping out a baking tray and line it with parchment paper.
Start by preheating the oven to 200°F (93°C) temperature and fill the tray with flowers as the oven is being pre-heated. Once the oven is hot enough, place the tray and monitor the flowers for 15-30 minutes to prevent burning. On average the flowers take between 1 to 2 hours to dry completely.
A simple and cheaper alternative to dry flowers when you don’t have access to silica. Prepare a shallow box by filling it with a half-inch layer of clean sand at the bottom of the box and lay the flowers face down about an inch apart.
After arranging the flowers, pour more sand slowly over the flowers to ensure they are completely covered, and leave the box in a warm room for 1-3 weeks to allow the flowers to dry completely. After drying, tip the box carefully to pour out the sand without damaging the flowers.
If you have access to neither silica gel nor river sand then you can substitute for them by using salt. Salt is a popular choice by many professional flower driers when it comes to drying flowers such as roses and bluebells.
Pour half an inch layer of salt into a large container and place salt into it. Then completely fill and cover the container with salt such that the roses are barely visible at the top. The average waiting time for this process is about 30-35 days.
We couldn’t skip this method because not only is it the second fastest method of drying the flowers, but also because it’s a common household item to make dried fruits for preserving them for off-seasons.
Place the flowers in a single layer on the dehydrator trays, set it to 135°F (57°C), and dry the flowers for 4-12 hours depending on their thickness and moisture content. Remove the flowers once they are crisp and dry to the touch.
All the previous methods mentioned previously prioritize simplicity and making use of tools already available in an average household. However, it also comes with the tradeoff that is slightly dulling the appearance of the flowers.
If you want to preserve both the flowers and their looks then consider dipping your flower stems into glycerin. Create a 2:1 ratio of hot water and glycerin in a container and then dip the flower stems. Then transfer the container into a dark room for 3-5 weeks until the flowers have a shiny appearance.
While the previous method preserves the flower by replacing the water content of the flowers with glycerin which prevents the flowers from decaying as glycerin acts as a negative catalyst for change. Paraffin on the other hand is used to prevent the water from evaporating.
Melt a neutral-colored paraffin and dip a brush into it. Gently coat each petal starting from the tip and moving into the center of the bud. Make sure to let the previous petal dry before moving on to the next one.
When the dried flowers are provided with proper care they can last for about 2-3 years on average. However, it also depends on the condition of the flowers at the time of drying. If you waited too long until the flowers started fading before drying the flowers then they might only last for a year, so the trick is to dry the flowers way before they start to wilt.
Understandably the flowers by themselves wouldn't become a memento if they weren't actually used in the event and as such here are some things that you can consider doing to make flowers last longer so they can still be dried while they're in a good condition.
Dried flowers are quite fragile, so handling them is difficult. Be gentle to avoid breaking stems and losing petals and store them in a cool, dry place with low humidity to prevent wilting. Avoid touching the flowers directly and clean your dried flowers regularly using a soft brush to prevent dust buildup.
Make sure to provide them with proper dried flower care. Some other things that you can do are to wrap the flowers in acid-free tissue paper and apply some hairspray, glycerin, or paraffin onto the flower petals to add a slight sheen to preserve and prevent the early dulling of the flowers.
Now that you have successfully dried the flowers, it's time to store them. Simply storing them isn't sufficient as improper storage can shorten their lifespan, thus below we have listed several effective methods for storing your dried flowers.
Remember to make sure that the flowers are completely dried before beginning to work on them. Make sure to handle them with care as they are fragile and could easily be damaged.
One way to arrange them is by framing dried flowers or storing them inside a shadow box to create a beautiful stunning display. No matter how amateurish your work may look to you, it will still be a stunning piece of artistry that can be hung or displayed proudly in your living room on a wall or shelf.
You can further improve the visual appeal of the framed flowers with a greater variety of flowers and some decorative foliage. You can give shape to the arrangement by tying them together with a string. Also, take extra care to not accidentally bruise or crush the flowers while sealing the frame.
If you don't want to hang them in a frame then you can store them in a decorative vase and place them on a shelf or a table. Flowers stored in this manner won't last as long as some other methods due to constant exposure to dust and moisture. Additionally, it is also prone to being knocked down which can damage the lifespan of the flowers.
Just like the frames, consider layering different types of flowers with a similar color scheme for added visual interest. You can even go a step further and tie some extra colorful beads and ribbons to make the vase even more irresistibly alluring.
Storing pressed flowers in dedicated flower books or herbarium sheets is a practice that dates back to the sixteenth century for herbalists to store and catalog the various kinds of flowers. While no longer being used for catalogs, you can still use this method to serve as a memoir or a memory journal entry where you can write about the events that it memorializes.
Do make sure to use acid-free tissues or paper sheets as it can assist in preventing the discoloration of the dried flowers which naturally occur over time.
Alternatively, you can use these dried flowers as decorative wrapping for gifts or for stylizing any other objects. You can attach them to the gifts directly by tying them to the ribbons and then using the ribbons to secure the gift.
Alternatively, you can use strings or transparent scotch tape to secure the flowers directly to the gift. They add a unique and personal charming touch while also being an eco-friendly choice of wrap.
Lastly, you can use the beautiful dried flower petals by converting them into sachets and attaching them to drawers, closets, and storage spaces for fragrance and decorative purposes.
We recommend doing this with highly fragrant flowers such as lavender that tend to retain their aromatic properties for a long time even after being dried making these satchels a fantastic alternative to potpourri.
Drying flowers is not without its issues. Here are some common problems that can be encountered especially if you are a beginner during the process of flower drying and suggestions on how to account for them:
If the flowers aren't dried thoroughly before being used as decorations, they can end up developing mold. The mold can then proceed to spread quickly across your remaining batch of dried flowers and thus waste all of your drying effort and hard work.
How To Fix:
Since mold thrives in damp and humid conditions, the best way to deal with this situation is to provide proper air circulation and maintain a low humidity during the drying process. Keep an eye on flowers regularly and discard any flowers showing early signs of mold growth.
Color loss is natural and inevitable for dried flowers but sometimes the flowers lose their colors way before their intended expiry date. This can happen if you unknowingly place the flowers in direct sunlight due to the UV rays breaking down the color pigments.
How To Fix:
To prevent the dulling and pseudo-wilting of dried flowers, make sure to always store the dried flowers in a cool and dry place far away from any spots with potential exposure to bright light. You can also dye or paint the flowers to their original vibrance with a brush as long as the petals haven't shriveled.
The drying process makes the petals and stems of flowers brittle but some species of flowers become extremely delicate and fragile upon drying with their petal structures falling off easily at a slight tug. This can result in a greater risk of damage while handling them for decorating.
How To Fix:
You can either choose to be gentle and handle them with great care to prevent excess bending or pressure. Or alternatively, you can use a non-conventional method of drying such as using silica gel, glycerin, or paraffin instead of mechanical presses, heat, and ovens.
Though this problem is not very common, it can still happen nevertheless. Some dried flowers can attract pests like mealworms or carpet beetles which will then promptly proceed to feed on the organic matter present in the flower damaging them irreversibly.
How To Fix:
If you have this problem then you can prevent the pest infestation of your dried flowers by storing them in airtight containers filled with some insect-repellent herbs such as rosemary or cloves. They also have an additional bonus of providing fragrance and background decoration to your assortment of dried flowers.
All things inevitably catch dust over time and dried flowers can especially look pretty ugly when full of dust. Unfortunately, since the dried flowers are more delicate than other things that you may have in your household they can also often be quite tricky to undust.
How To Fix:
Using a can of air duster start from far away and slowly move the can closer to the flower arrangement to find the right pressure to adequately clean the flowers without damaging them. You can also substitute the air can with an air dryer on a cool setting.
