How To Dry And Preserve Flowers:
Knowing how to dry and preserve flowers can be useful for many things. You can preserve a flower that is attached to a fond memory, or you can preserve flowers to decorate your home. Dries and preserved flowers are also used in so many aesthetic items. If you are in the middle of making one, then here is a guide for doing just that. All you need to have is flowers and some equipment that are mentioned in this article.
Why Do People Dry And Preserve Flowers?
Drying and preserving flowers is a practice many people follow. It is commonly used if you want to keep a flower for a long time but also wants to preserve its beauty. You may know that with time the beauty of the flower fades if it is plucked.
So, to keep the beauty alive, preserving is recommended. This technique is also used by florists when they make a flower arrangement. You can also buy dried flower arrangements by Mordialloc Florist if you do not want to go through the hassle of preserving flowers yourself.
How To Dry And Preserve Flowers?
There are numerous ways through which you can dry a flower. You can select any of the following methods according to the availability of the things you have to carry out the process.
1. Air Dry The Flowers
Air drying means simply hanging the flowers upside down and leaving them be for a few weeks. You can follow these steps to perform this method:
- Strip away the excess foliage from the flowers
- Cut the stems according to the length you prefer. Usually, 6 inches is the best length.
- Tie the stems together.
- Now find a dark area that is well-ventilated and dry. Make sure there is no sunlight as it can fade the colour of the flowers.
- Wait for around 2 to 3 weeks till the flowers dry completely.
- Once the flowers are dried, spray a hairspray to protect the flowers. Make sure the spray is unscented.
2. Preserve Flowers In A Microwave
This method is more effective if you want to retain the shape and colour of the flower. Before proceeding, ensure you have a microwave, silica gel and microwave container.
Remove the excess foliage from the flowers.
- Cut the stems as per your preference.
- Take a microwave container in which your flowers can fit.
- Take the silica gel and cover the container’s bottom with it up to one inch.
- Place the flower over the gel.
- Once placed, pour some more gel over the blossoms to keep the shape of the petals intact.
- Do not cover the container and place it as it is in the microwave
- Set the microwave on low heat and set the timer for 2 to 5 minutes.
- Before taking out the container, cover it. Once it is out, slowly take off the cover and let it sit for twenty-four hours.
- After 24 hours, gently remove the flowers from the container and brush off the gel using a soft brush.
- After cleaning the flowers, spray an acrylic spray over them to protect them.
Final Thoughts
So, these are the most commonly used methods that are effective in drying and preserving flowers. Hopefully,this guide helped you in achieving the results that you are aiming for.