How to dry and press flowers

How to Preserve the Magic of Summer? A Guide to Drying and Pressing Flowers

Summer days full of colorful blossoms are slowly coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean we have to say goodbye to their beauty. Drying and pressing flowers is a wonderful way to keep memories of summer, a special event, or a gifted bouquet throughout the year. We’ve prepared a complete guide to help you do it easily at home.

Before You Start: Choosing the Right Flowers and Timing

Success begins with the right choice. Not all flowers are equally suitable for drying and pressing.

• Best for drying: Roses, hydrangeas, lavender, strawflowers, statice, ornamental grasses, wheat, or gypsophila (baby’s breath).

• Best for pressing: Single-petal flowers that are not too fleshy – pansies, forget-me-nots, violets, daisies, herb blossoms, or rose petals.

Timing is key: Harvest flowers on a dry, sunny day, ideally around noon, when the morning dew has evaporated. Choose blossoms that are fully open but not yet fading.

Method 1: Air Drying – A Classic That Never Fails

The simplest and most traditional method, ideal for whole stems and bouquets.

Steps:

1. Clean the stems – remove all leaves.

2. Tie small bundles of 3–5 flowers with string or a rubber band.

3. Hang them upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated space.

4. Wait patiently – drying takes 2 to 4 weeks. Flowers are ready when they feel firm and brittle.

Florist’s tip: To help preserve color, lightly spray the dried flowers with clear hairspray.

Method 2: Pressing in a Book – Memories in a Herbarium

Perfect for creating artwork, greeting cards, or resin decorations.

Steps:

1. Prepare a heavy book, absorbent paper, and flowers.

2. Place flowers between sheets of paper inside the book.

3. Close the book and weigh it down.

4. Wait 3–4 weeks, changing the paper after the first week if needed.

What to Do with Your Treasures? DIY Ideas

• Dried bouquets in vases.

• Framed pressed flowers.

• Handmade greeting cards.

• Resin jewelry and décor.

Preserving flowers is a beautiful and creative way to extend the life of a bouquet or keep a little piece of nature with you. We wish you joy in creating!

Team KvětinyExpres.cz