If you’ve recently received a stunning bouquet of flowers from a loved one and want them to last just that little bit longer, pressing and drying each bloom is a great way to preserve them.
Once pressed and preserved, dried flowers can last for years, giving you a huge amount of pleasure and providing you with beautiful mementos with which to decorate your home or handicrafts.
What’s more, pressing flowers is very easy to do, allowing you to preserve that precious bouquet quickly and effectively.
Choosing your flowers
Though it can be tempting to wait for your blooms to pass their best before you begin the pressing process; for the best results, it’s important to pick flowers at the peak of their vibrancy.
Flat faced flowers, such as daisies generally work best – though blooms with conical faces like roses and tulips can also work well, especially if you cut the flowers in half before you place them in the press. Alternatively, you can simply select a few petals to press. This is fantastic for home crafts and can be a good way to practice your pressing skill.
Place your flowers in the press
To get the best results from your pressed flowers, you’ll need to place them in a flower press. These are easily available from craft shops or if you’re feeling extra creative you can make one yourself.
When placing the flowers in the press, ensure the leaves of the press are clean and dry. If you’ve run out of clean pages, you can use parchment paper cut to size.
If you’re placing more than one flower on each page, ensure you leave plenty of room between each one to prevent them from sticking together.
Pressing the flowers
Once you’re happy that your blooms are arranged how you want them, place the remaining pieces of paper and the wooden lid of the press and tighten the screws as much as you can.
Leave the press in a dry part of your home for seven to ten days, changing the parchment paper every few days to ensure the flower doesn’t become damp and as a result turn brown.
When you’ve completed this process, you’ll have some beautifully pressed flowers that you can treasure and enjoy for years to come.