By drying flowers in a book, the flowers become flattened and can then be used to make personalized stationary or bookmarks. You can press flowers flowers four different ways, depending what you have available and how much time you have. Find a dark, dry area with good circulation, such as an attic or unused closet. This may take several days or several weeks, depending on conditions and the type of flowers. Place more books or other weighty objects on top of the book. According to this author, roses can be airdried or microwaved, but desiccant drying gives the best color. Once all the water is evaporated, the flowers should be upright and perky, but dry.
Start the pressing process by placing the flower face down on a hard surface. Naturally, the flatter the flowers start off, the easier it will be to press them. Add more weight on top of the book to help press the flowers down. With unflavored dental floss, secure the bottom of the flowers stems to a hanger so that they hang upside down to dry. Use string or dental floss to hang flowers upside down in a cool, dark, dry, indoor spot. The four ways include pressing flowers with a book, a flower press, an iron and the microwave. Start with just one or two flowers in case they end up burnt. But first, in order to assess if and how your flowers will dry well, consider the following.
Try choosing a variety of focal flowers and greenery and filler flowers for a unique look. Flowers with petals that radiate out from the centerasters, for instanceare also good candidates. How to press flowers with botanical print tutorial. How to press your flowers gather the flowers you want to press, along with some newspaper, tissue paper, a heavy book a phone book works well. Find a book with nonglossy and untreated paper, preferably a telephone book or standard reading book. When its time to preserve them, use these expert drying techniques. Place the flower face down in a telephone book lined with parchment paper. Place the flower between two pieces of paper, and place them within the pages of the book. There is an easy way to dry out flowers inside the pages of a book that will help to keep the petals intact longer. Use more books, or perhaps a brick, to weigh down the book once it is closed. Air drying works best for bouquets and for robust flowers such as roses, or small, longlasting varieties like lavender. Another common method of drying flowers is by pressing them.
If you are drying more than one set of blooms, alternate cooling and heating. First set out a piece of cardboard that is almost the same size as your book. How to dry flowers in books diy pressed flowers youtube. The result of my untutored experimentation turned mouldy and had to be thrown away. While youre waiting on the flower, heat the iron on low, dry heat. When flowers are done drying, they will feel dry and stiff to the touch. Leave flowers for two to three weeks until completely dry. A complete guide to growing, drying, and arranging malcolm hillier, colin hilton on. So when youre drying flowers go through them and pick out the best buds and flowers that arent too wilted or past the point where they just. Here are some tips for choosing flowers to dry, drying them, and keeping them looking good. Examples of flat flowers include pansies and buttercups. To prevent mold, hang the blooms so that air circulates well around each bundle.
How to press and dry your flowers the spruce crafts. However, be sure to space them out so that the moisture from one flower doesnt transfer to another. Hydrangeas or babys breath are good choices for this method, as blooms with more tender stalks might droop. It will flatten the flower and make the drying process go smoother. Youll need the flowers you want to dry, some ceramic plates, a few coffee filters, a heavy book, and your microwave. As you are pressing all the water out of the flowers, be sure to choose something that can absorb the water, such as a book, newspaper or a piece of cotton. In a pinch, i have gotten excellent results using the big book method.
Depending on the size of the book, you can press multiple flowers at once. Hang flowers individually or rubberband stems together to hang a bouquet. Since pressing blossoms is a way of drying them, flowers that contain less moisture. Flatten the flower with a heavy book first, then press the warm iron on top of the. A complete guide to growing, drying, and arranging 1st by hillier, malcolm, hilton, colin isbn. It will get easier as you learn how much drying each. There are flowers, like the aptly named strawflower xerochrysum bracteatum, that seem to dry themselves, while others are just too succulent to dry fully. Check out our stepbystep guides to two different methods of drying flowers below. Before i read this book, it never occurred to me to dry flowers in a microwave oven. Keep in mind that the pages of that book will likely become stained the color of the flower.