This method of air-drying is also best if you want a straight stem, as leaving them to dry in a vase causes the blooms to droop.
Pressing
Pressing is a good option if you’re looking to preserve flowers from a wedding or special event. Just like it sounds, this method produces flat flowers, which Porta notes have versatility and longevity on their side. “I feel like there’s a lot that you could do with them, and they hold a lot of special meaning, which is my favorite part,” she says.
All you need to create your flower press is a few heavy books. Open up the book and place the flowers you want to preserve within it, leaving a few pages between each flower, to distribute the weight and moisture throughout. While not essential, you can opt to add an extra layer around the flower to absorb moisture so that the book pages don’t get ruined. This can be with construction paper, paper towels, tissue paper, or wax paper, but make sure to stay away from newspaper or anything with ink that can run. “And then once you close the book, I would stack more heavy books on top of it to give it some weight so that the flowers flatten out as much as possible,” adds Porta.
At Framed Florals, Porta creates wall art using pressed flowers, but you can also preserve their longevity using epoxy resin. Popular DIY craft options range from making your own jewelry to making coasters.
Heating
Applying heat to flowers is the fastest way to dry them, making this method handy for when you are on a tight timeline, such as preparing a tablescape for an upcoming event.
Heat your oven to 200 degrees, space the flowers out on a baking sheet, and place them inside. While the process usually takes about two hours, you’ll want to check on them after an hour and then keep an eye on them from there to ensure they don’t burn. “It’s a low and slow process,” explains Porta.
A similar microwave method—which speeds up the heat-drying process even more—is another common technique, but most experts don’t recommend it, especially if you are drying a flower with sentimental value that you want to last. “I personally don’t love using the microwave for pressing flowers because I feel like it speeds it up almost too fast and you just don’t get that natural look,” says Porta. “Sometimes they’ll go in for too long and they’ll come out almost bruised-looking.”
Silica Gel
For this method, head to your local craft store and pick up a bag of silica gel—yes, those same beads that come in little packets in your new clothes and accessories. Despite its name, the texture is more similar to sand than jelly.
This method entails burying flowers in the silica gel to preserve their natural form. Carefully layer the sand between petals, paying close attention to larger blooms such as peonies, hydrangeas, and carnations, explains Porta. Silica gel is a desiccant, so it will draw out all of the moisture from the flowers, leaving you with a realistic-looking dried floral.
