If you've got a flower that is special or important to you, you can keep it for years by intentionally drying it out. It can be difficult to preserve flowers this way—when they dry out in the air they can become so cracked that they fall apart easily when handled. There is an easy way to dry out flowers inside the pages of a book that will help to keep the petals intact longer.
Find a book with nonglossy and untreated paper, preferably a telephone book or standard reading book. Keep in mind that the pages of that book will likely become stained the color of the flower.
Allow the flower to sit in the sun for two hours to start the drying process. If you're picking the flowers from a garden, do so in the middle of a sunny day instead of early in the morning so that they won't be moist with dew or rain.
Trim off any thorns or excess bumps on the stem of the flower. Cut the stem so that the flower will fit comfortably inside the book. If you'd like, you can remove the stem completely and dry the petals only.
Insert the flower between the pages of the book and close it tightly. Seal the book shut with a piece of tape and place a heavy item on top. Store the book in a dry, cool room. Wait four weeks to open the book to retrieve your dried flower.
Tip
Place no more than three flowers inside of one book. This is because you need the book to close down as firmly as possible—that will be hard with too many flowers crowding the pages. Store the pressed flowers in an airtight bag or plastic container out of the sun. Use press-dried flowers in conjunction with paint, beads and glitter to create fun art pieces.
Warnings:
- Use this method of drying your flowers only if you don't mind the petals being flat. Do not attempt to fluff out the petals or they may disintegrate.
References
Resources
Tips
- Place no more than three flowers inside of one book. This is because you need the book to close down as firmly as possible---that will be hard with too many flowers crowding the pages.
- Store the pressed flowers in an airtight bag or plastic container out of the sun.
- Use press-dried flowers in conjunction with paint, beads and glitter to create fun art pieces.
Warnings
- Use this method of drying your flowers only if you don't mind the petals being flat. Do not attempt to fluff out the petals or they may disintegrate.
Writer Bio
Louise Balle has been writing Web articles since 2004, covering everything from business promotion to topics on beauty. Her work can be found on various websites. She has a small-business background and experience as a layout and graphics designer for Web and book projects.
Related Articles
