How to Preserve Flowers: Real Flowers That Last A Year™

Preserving flowers is a beautiful art form that anyone can do with the right tools and instructions. Not only do the preserved flowers look gorgeous, but they preserve the emotion associated with their presence. If you receive an arrangement of flowers for any special occasion, you’ll want to cherish them for longer than their natural life. 

A beautiful gift of flowers symbolizes unending emotion, pride, and love. Through preservation, all those feelings can be protected for years to come. In this guide, we will be discussing different methods of preserving flowers and some of our top tips to help you nail the process! 

Preserving flowers will give them a never-ending life. There are many reasons why you may want to preserve flowers. Often, many people preserve flowers as a piece of memorabilia from a certain event. You may also want to preserve flowers from your garden, simply to use them as a unique decoration in your home. Whatever your reason is, preserving flowers is a brilliant way to give your flowers a never-ending life!

How to Preserve Flowers

1. Pressing

One method to preserve flowers is by pressing the flowers; this is a very traditional way of preserving flowers. First, you should lay down your chosen flowers onto clean wax paper in the arrangement that you want them. Second, take another piece of wax paper and place it on top of the flowers. Place the paper inside of a heavy book and place heavy objects on top of it. Usually, the process will take 5-10 days before you see the result. After some time has passed, carefully remove the flowers from the wax paper and place them in your decoration of choice.

Pressing flowers with wax paper is a straight-forward process that is time-efficient and easy. As a result, it is a very popular method with countless tutorials that you can follow along with. This method works well for flowers with small vibrant petals, but this method is not as effective for larger flowers. For example, roses will lose their shape if they are pressed. For larger flowers, consider one of the below options. 

2. Natural Drying

Another way to preserve flowers is through air drying, which has been frequently used for centuries. First, you must gather the flowers you want to preserve and arrange them into bunches. Tie them up around the stem with string, wool, or a rubber band so that they are secure. Third, you should hang them upside down in an area that can provide the flowers with a lot of air that is out of direct sunlight. This is extremely important as placing the flowers in sunlight can make the flowers lose their color. This process may take a few weeks, and you will know the process is working when the colors begin to fade into duller shades. 

You should only air-dry plants that do not have high water content. Otherwise, they will not fully dry out and may not dry at all. For this method, it is best to use flowers that have not fully bloomed. This is an easy process that requires little effort and it is the least expensive method out of those that we mention here. Nonetheless, the flowers do lose some of their colors and become very fragile, so this method is not for everyone. 

3. Using A Drying Agent

If neither of the above methods works for you, you can try using silica gel to dry out your flowers. You will need the following supplies: silica gel, a dust mask, gloves, an airtight glass or plastic container, flowers, scissors or garden pruners, plastic squeeze bottles, and hairspray. 

First, you must cut the flower stems off, leaving yourself with an approximate 1-inch leeway. Next, place the flowers in a container face up. Pour silica gel with care over the flowers. Lastly, you should place the lid on top and leave it all for a few days. The preservation process using silica gel usually takes 3-7 days, depending on the flower type. 

When removing the flowers, you must take care, otherwise, they will fall apart. Many people use tweezers to delicately remove the flowers from the container. If there is any remaining silica gel, you can dust it off with a paintbrush or makeup brush. A spritz of hairspray will help to keep the petals rigid and vibrant in appearance. 

If you do not want to wait for 3-7 days, you can speed this process up with a microwave. After you have coated the flowers with silica gel, instead of just leaving it - you can pop it in the microwave for one minute. After it has been in the microwave, you will then need it to cool down for 30-60 minutes. Then just like that, you have your preserved flowers within an hour!

A frequently asked question is, “Where can I buy silica gel?” Most local craft stores will have this item stocked. Usually, silica gel costs around $10, and one container gives you multiple uses. 

This method requires the most materials and is the most expensive method. However, the results are incredible! You can use any flowers as long as they fit into the containers, and unlike other methods, you do not have to be concerned with the color or shape altering during the process. 

All in all, if you want an easy and inexpensive way of preserving flowers, then pressing is the way to go! It requires very little effort and materials and the results are amazing. If you are looking for a more polished look then the silica gel method is the way to go, as it will leave you with brilliant results, and if you have the time and space, drying might be your best option. 

Tips for Preserving Your Flowers

Now that you know how to preserve flowers, we have a few tips and things to keep in mind to get the most out of the process. First, you should make sure that you always have all your preservation tools on hand and laid out before you start. This will make the process more time-efficient and ensure that each step of the process is followed through promptly and correctly.

Another tip is that you should decide what you are going to do with your flowers after you finish. Will these preserved flowers be a gift or will you use them yourself? You want to put the flowers in their proper place as soon as possible because you do not want them to just gather dust as they sit around your home. In regards to the placement of the flowers, you should keep them out of direct sunlight, as this can cause the colors to fade rapidly. The best place for preserved flowers is in a corner or area with low light, like on a shelf or mantlepiece.

The timing of when you preserve flowers is important. It is best to preserve flowers when they are in full bloom. If you preserve the flowers too soon, they are prone to bruising, and if you preserve them too late then they are at risk of falling apart and discoloring. 

Lastly, you should keep in mind that you are unlikely to get it the right first time and you may damage some flowers in the process of perfecting your preservation skills. While the process sounds straightforward, we all know that practice makes perfect and it might be a good idea to practice on flowers that you are less attached to first. Once you have the process down, you can move on to preserving the flowers that have sentimental value. 

Decorating with Your Preserved Flowers

 

There are many ways to make use of preserved flowers so that they are not just sitting in your closet. You should get the most out of these delicate pieces of art. A beautiful way to use preserved flowers is by creating jewelry with them. This type of jewelry is very fashionable and can be an environmentally friendly way of styling yourself. 

Preserved flowers can be a unique decoration in your home. You can put the flowers into picture frames and hang them around your home. These framed flowers can also make a beautiful and thoughtful gift to your loved ones. Let your imagination run wild and you use your preserved flowers for practically anything you want to! 

In Summary

Preserving flowers is not only an interesting activity but a creative process that can leave you with ever-lasting flowers that you can use for many different purposes. Preserving flowers ensures that their sentimental beauty has a long life and allows you to cherish their memory for years to come! We hope this guide has helped you understand the flower preservation process and provided inspiration for how to use them. 

If you don’t want to go through all the effort of preserving your own flowers, Venus ET Fleur® is renowned for delivering real roses that last a year. Whether you choose from one of our special collections or choose to design your own stunning arrangement, we are sure that you’ll be mesmerized by the natural beauty of our roses. Unlike store-bought flowers which quickly fade away, our Eternity® Roses  are guaranteed to last a year or more with proper care.

Sources -

link 1 - https://dengarden.com/interior-design/how-can-i-preserve-a-rose

link 2 - https://www.interflora.co.uk/blog/how-to-preserve-flowers/

link 3 - https://www.littleyellowwheelbarrow.com/how-to-dry-flowers/