5 Methods: Guide to Drying Beautiful Flowers

Want the flowers your father or husband gave you to last forever? Or just want to dry some for crafts? Try these 5 different techniques!

Supplies

Air Drying Technique:

Flowers

String

Scissors

Stick or Hanger

Microwave Technique:

microwave

microwave-safe container

flowers

silica gel

fine-tip brush

acrylic spray

Desiccant Technique:

You need any of these listed below:

and flowers

Baking Technique:

Oven

Flowers

Pressing Technique:

2 books (or any heavy thing)

Flowers

Excess foliage should be taken off of flowers
Cut the stems to your desired length (shouldn't be shorter than six inches).
Flowers should be hung individually or stems should be rubber-banded together to hang bouquet.
Hang flowers in a dark, dry area with good circulation. With string secure the bottom of the flowers’ stems to a hanger so that they hang upside down to dry.
For Flowers to better retain their color in the drying process, make sure no sunlight can get at them when they are cut
Flowers should hang for two to three weeks until removed, make sure they are completely dry.
Once you remove flowers from hanger spray with unscented hairspray for protection.

Get a microwave-safe container to hold both your flowers and fit in the microwave. Don't use a dish that will later be used for food.
The bottom of the container should be covered with about an inch or two thick of silica gel, a bit more for larger blossoms.
Place the flowers blossom-up in gel and then pour more gel over the petals. Pour gently, or use your hands, so that petals don’t get flattened.
Place the uncovered container in the microwave. Microwave temperature and time will vary according to the type of flower, so this step requires a bit of trial and error. Start the microwave on one or two heat levels above defrost for 2-5 minutes. Roses can withstand more heat, while daisies are best dried at lower temperatures.
Check your flower’s progress in the microwave after about a minute, and then every 30 seconds. Increase heat and time as needed.
Once flowers have completely dried, open the microwave and immediately cover the container.
Remove the covered container from the microwave, open the top a quarter of a centimeter, and let it sit for 24 hours.
Clean the gel from the petals with a fine-tip brush and then mist with an acrylic spray (also available at craft stores).
Finally, display or use your dried flowers in craft projects as you like.

2.Let them sit for a few weeks to remove their moisture.

3.This method takes longer than microwaving your flowers, but it can preserve their color more effectively.

Put your blooms in the oven at a low temperature
Bake them for a couple of hours.
This is a quick method for drying flowers, but you may lose a lot of petals in the process. Also, this method is not the best for preserving the color of your flowers.