Who says nothing lasts forever? There are some memories you can preserve like flowers. You can do so by pressing them.
How to press flowers? Read on to learn three simple methods of pressing flowers using things you already have at home.
Why You Should Press Flowers
There are so many reasons why people press flowers. Let’s start with the most emotional one: to preserve memories.
Flowers are popular gifts during special occasions: Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Birthday, among others.
However
Flowers wilt within three to five days. Then the gift is gone.
If you have the time and energy, it doesn’t take long to press the flowers and they could last for years.
Okay
Perhaps I was exaggerating earlier when I said that it could last forever, but it could last a really long time.
Granting that within a decade, the color of the pressed flowers will already fade. However, the flower itself will last for many more years.
Here’s another reason:
Crafting.
For creative people, pressing flowers is a form of crafting. It is a way to channel one’s creativity.
Look
Some people have flower gardens. But not everyone can have the space for it.
However, those who don’t have the space can still have their own flower garden of sorts.
They can press flowers, frame them and decorate the entire house with those frames.
So if you love flowers
You don’t need to buy them every few days just to decorate the house.
Framed press flowers can last for years.
When you really think about it
It’s quite an inexpensive way to have flowers at home.
It’s a great hobby as well.
Plus
Pressed flowers can be great gifts.
You know how at times you are at a loss on what to give people during special occasions?
Well, here’s an idea
Framed pressed flowers come off as a really thoughtful gift.
It may not be expensive, but you put time and effort into making it, which means it is a labor of love.
By the way
Framed pressed flowers is not the only way you can create gifts for special occasions.
You can also make a card decorated with pressed flowers. Of course, you can’t expect this to last for years as the flowers will be exposed to air and the many particles with it.
Here are other ideas:
You can use pressed flowers as embellishments on rather dull regular things:
- Put pressed flowers on hanging decors.
- Decorate food trays with pressed flowers.
- Put a pressed flower on a coaster so that a set will have a different flower on each coaster.
- Enliven a box with pressed flowers.
- Beautify plain lanterns with pressed flowers.
The possibilities are endless
You can think of many other ways to use pressed flowers so you can give people gifts that fit their personalities.
Now
If you have never been a creative individual, this is a really easy thing to do. It doesn’t take much effort and time.
Who knows, you might eventually enjoy doing it.
How to Press Flowers
Now on to the more important part. How to press flowers?
We mentioned earlier that pressing flowers is a way of preserving memories. You want your gift to last longer than the few days that the flowers are expected to withstand the environment.
However
If you want to press flowers as a hobby or you want to give them as gifts, then there are important things to follow:
1. Pick the right flowers
Freshness is important in making pressed flowers. How fresh? If you can find flowers that are still in bud form, that would be wonderful.
If not, a freshly bloomed flower is just as great.
If you have your own garden
It’s best that you pick them early in the morning. This is when flowers, in general, are at its freshest with the dew just recently evaporating off them.
If you are not ready to work on them because you still need to go to work, then you just put the freshly picked flowers in a plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator.
Why?
Storing them in a cold place will pause the process of wilting. When you are ready, it’s time for step number two:
2. Hydrate the flowers
The flowers should be dry before you press them. And in order to air-dry them, they have to be hydrated.
You need to cut the stem of the flower at an angle for maximum absorption of water. You will then put the flower on a vase with water and a teaspoon of sugar.
The reason?
The sweetener will allow the flower to be supple while also making it last longer.
Leave the flower in the vase for a few hours.
Reminder
Remove the leaves on the stem that could be reached by the water in the vase.
3. Drying the flowers
Dry the flowers on a piece of paper. It should be noted that it would be easier to press flowers that are thin.
For thick flowers, cut them in half. Put the flat part on the paper for drying.
By the way
You can use other materials for drying aside from paper:
- Coffee filter
- Flat cardboard
- Non-treated facial tissue
Moving on
There are many ways to press flowers, but I will discuss three of the simplest ones. These ways don’t take a lot of your time and they use things that you can just find at home.
Books
This is the simplest and most popular way to press flowers.
Find the heaviest book that you have. Make sure it is hardbound.
Here’s the thing though
The pages of the book will be damaged by some of the moisture left on the flower.
So make sure you won’t be too pained when the book is damaged.
Anyway
The flowers shouldn’t actually be directly in between the pages of the books. You have to put a flower in between two pieces of paper and insert the flower sandwich in the book.
You can press multiple flowers in one book. However, for best results, you should do one flower per book.
It doesn’t end there
To really press down the flowers, stack some books over the book with the flowers.
Better yet, put something heavy on it like a brick or block.
Please remember:
Change the sheets of paper that sandwich the flower every few days.
The flower will be completely dry and pressed in three weeks.
Microwave
You surely have a microwave at home, right? Then this is something that you can easily do.
However, you would need some other materials to complete the task:
- 2 pieces of paper
- 2 pieces of cardboard
- 2 ceramic tiles
- 2 Rubber bands
Here are the steps:
Put the flower in between the papers and then layer them with cardboard and ceramic tiles, in that order.
Tie the set with rubber bands at both ends.
Time to put it in
Make sure the microwave is on low setting. Put your press in the microwave and let it do its thing for 30 to 60 seconds.
Let it cool down.
Once cooled, you may repeat the process a couple more times.
Just like the book press
Put heavy materials to completely press the flower. Allow the weight to press the flower down for at least two days.
Electric Iron
Here’s another household item that most people have: electric iron.
This is the quickest way to press flowers. You don’t need days to completely finish the task.
Yep! That simple
Again, sandwich the flowers between absorbent papers. Flatten the sandwich with a heavy book.
Put the iron in a low setting.
Strike while the iron is hot!
Not too hot, though. But once it is warm, press the iron on the flower sandwich.
Leave it on there for 10 to 15 seconds.
That quick!
Don’t use the iron as if you are ironing clothes. Just let it press down on the paper.
You may repeat the process a few times, but make sure you let it cool down between iron presses.
Et voila!
You can now remove the paper and have your freshly pressed flower or flowers!
It’s the fastest method of all!
There you have it!
These are three very simple ways to press flowers. They are very easy to do yet there are so many ways you can enjoy pressed flowers.
What are you waiting for? Start picking out flowers for pressing!
Summary
Pressing flowers is really easy. But what’s really great about it is that there are many ways to use it. You may frame the pressed flowers to decorate your house or to give as gifts. You can also embellish plain stuff with pressed flowers to make them more beautiful. It’s a way to preserve the flowers and the memories that come with it.
How to press flowers? There are many ways to do this actually. But the simplest ones are those that make use of things that you most likely already have in the house. The classic way is using books. However, you have to wait weeks until the flowers are completely dry.
You may also use the microwave and have the flowers completely pressed and dry within a few days. Using an electric iron is the quickest as it can complete the process within a day. The actual drying process actually only takes a few minutes.
Useful Resources
- Simple DIY: Framed Flowers Tutorial – Minnesota Bride
- 13 Pretty Things To Do With Those Dried Flowers You’ve Been Saving – Buzzfeed
- 60 Best Types of Flowers You Should Have In Your Garden – Country Living
