How to Preserve Flowers: 5 Flower Preservation Methods

Preserved flowers are dried, de-stemmed blossoms that can maintain the vibrancy, smell, and even shape of fresh flowers. Once preserved, these dried flowers do not require the watering and care that living flowers do. You can use preserved flowers as home decor, wedding bouquets, keepsakes, and other decorative items. You can dry many types of flowers—from daisies and zinnias to marigolds and peonies—in a few simple steps, making flower drying a fun and affordable DIY activity.

There are many different drying methods for flower preservation, each easy to achieve in a couple of steps:

1. 1. Air dry: Head to a garden and cut flowers, then sort the blooms by type. Remove the leaves on the flower stems and bundle like flowers together with a rubber band. Tie the stems to a hanger and let them air dry upside down, keeping the bundles six inches apart. Make sure the flowers are away from direct sunlight in a space that is room temperature. There, the drying process will take from two to four weeks, depending on the size of the petals.
2. 2. Microwave flowers: Snip your flowers, fill a microwave-safe container with an inch of a desiccant like silica gel beads, and place your flower on top. Place the container in the microwave alongside a cup of water to help the flower from over-dehydrating. Microwave for thirty-second intervals. Once the petals are near crisp, remove them from the microwave and let the flower sit in the silica for a day to dry fully. Then remove the flower and use it in your decorating or crafts.
3. 3. Use a desiccant: You can get a desiccant, such as a silica gel, from a craft store or florist. Cut your flower’s stem and remove any foliage from it. Get an airtight container and pour in an inch of your desiccant. Then, carefully place your flower in the desiccant. Add in a little more desiccant without covering the flower and tightly seal the container. Depending on the flower size, it may be dry in two to seven days.
4. 4. Press flowers: For this method choose fatter flowers like hydrangeas, which will flatten best. Get a heavy book, open it up, and put a piece of parchment paper on top of the left page and another piece on top of the right page. Place your flowers on top of the right piece of parchment paper, and gently close the book. Let the pressed flowers sit for a week, and then remove them. The flowers will be delicate so remove and work with them carefully.
5. 5. Dry in the oven: Cut your flowers a couple of inches below the bulb, pat dry with a paper towel, and trim off the stems’ foliage. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and lay your flowers on top of the paper a few inches apart. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove them after an hour, assuming they have crisped and shriveled slightly. If not, keep them in a little longer. Remove, let them fully cool, and then use them for decoration.

Dried flowers have several uses, including the following:

1. 1. Potpourri: You can use dried flowers to create a blend of petals—from pansies, tulips, strawflowers, and others—in a bowl or a sachet that adds fragrance and color to your home.
2. 2. Wedding bouquet: Dried flowers hold their shape and color longer than fresh flowers, which can make them a more reliable and attractive option for your wedding day.
3. 3. Flower crowns: String large dried flowers together for a flower crown if you’re looking for a creative accent to your wedding day look or something to complement your bridesmaids’ looks.
4. 4. Decorative bouquets: Dried flower bouquets provide an alternative to fresh bouquets that can maintain their appearance for way longer than fresh flowers.
5. 5. Scrapbooks: If you want to preserve a special bouquet of flowers you received from a loved one, you can dry the flowers as a keepsake like jewelry or bookmarks.
6. 6. Craft projects: You can add dried flowers to several DIY projects like handmade cards, candles, or wall art.
7. 7. Gifting: You can tie dried flowers to a gift with a ribbon for a creative accent to any holiday present.
8. 8. Resin: After drying flowers, you can cast the full blooms or petals in an epoxy resin mold as a keepsake.

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