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Feature Photo: Locket-Style Pressed Flower Frames by The Dandelion Fox Art
A bouquet of fresh stems on your countertop or desk is a surefire way to brighten the day, but what about when they start to droop? Don’t toss those blossoms just yet! There are lots of ways to enjoy your arrangement well after it’s passed its prime.
Drying or pressing your flowers as their shelf life comes to an end are two of the best ways to preserve your blooms. You can use them in crafts, art projects, or décor, and feel great about saving your bouquet from the compost bin!
Jump back in the archives to revisit our blog 5 Steps to Extend Fresh Flower Life, then read on as we discuss a few of the ways you can continue to enjoy your buds longer.
Pressed Bridal Bouquet by onceBLOOMED
Dried — Not to Hide!
The air-dry method for preserving your bouquets is both the easiest and quickest way to repurpose your floral design. Some blooms can simply be left in a waterless vase to air out, but we recommend hanging them upside down in a dark, dry (duh!), well-ventilated area, like a large closet or an attic.
Pull your flowers as soon you notice them starting to droop; leaving them in the water too long can result in lost petals, mouldy heads, and brittle foliage. Strip off any excess leaves and trim the stems to your desired length — not too short! You still need to tie them and don’t want to crowd the flowers, or they’ll have a harder time drying out.
The inside of Deborah Maire Moon’s Dried Flower Shop in Yorkshire, UK.
Hang them upside down for at least two to three weeks to ensure the drying process is complete. Keeping them out of the sun can help retain more of their colour, but flowers with tighter petal construction have a higher chance of moulding so it’s important that they’re kept at a very low humidity if you go the darkroom route.
Once you’re sure they’ve dried completely, it’s time to get creative. Fashion the flowers into mini bouquets and use them as gift tags or fasten them to a vine wreath for a whole new feature design. And don’t you dare throw out those fallen petals! Tear them gently and turn them into potpourri, mix them into custom candles, or use them as a sustainable alternative to confetti at your next event.
@rosalindsgardenblooms made this using only her own home-grown flowers!
Pressed to Impress
This second way of preserving flowers has been around for centuries and has the same set-it-and-forget-it convenience as drying them. Pressed flowers maintain their petal shape and colour better than those that have been air-dried, so you may want to pull your buds even sooner for this method. Smaller, thinner, open-facing blooms work best to ensure an even press and less mess. While some may insist on using a flower press, we find that a heavy book works just as well.
Use a piece of parchment to protect your books from any colour or moisture transfer from the flowers. Just fold it in half and tuck it right into the spine or lay one piece underneath and one on top for bigger projects. Stagger the heads of your flowers to create as even of a surface as possible, and don’t do too many at once or your book won’t close, resulting in an uneven press. Once you’re happy with your layout, stack a few books on top and check back in three to four weeks.
When your pressed posies are sufficiently dry, showcase them on their own between glass or lay them on paper and frame for some mixed art. The smaller blooms are a perfect added detail on handcrafted cards, invitations, or notebooks, and can even be preserved in resin and made into custom jewellery.
Left to Right:
Handmade Pressed Flower Cards by Wilder + Wren
Locket-Style Pressed Flower Frames by The Dandelion Fox Art
Pressed Flower Gift Tags by Adev Farm
Perhaps the most common medium used with pressed flowers is decoupage, where you lay your blossoms out and seal them with a diluted glue mixture to maintain texture. It’s a great way to decorate pots, planters, or signs! Try it on wood, metal, or terra cotta for best results.
To Have and To Hold… and To Dry and To Keep
There’s no reason you can’t continue to enjoy a special arrangement after it’s out of the spotlight, and these two upcycling methods are the perfect ways to make it last (almost) forever! Brides are swooning over the work of bouquet preservation artists like Katlyn Johnson, owner and operator of onceBLOOMED in Manitoba (@oncebloomed), who offers multiple different ways to save your bouquet after the big day.
Whether you’re looking for an understated addition to your décor or an eye-catching conversation starter, these sentimental creations perfectly preserve your memories and continue to bring you joy for anniversaries to come!
Preserved Bridal Bouquets by Katlyn Johnson of onceBLOOMED in Manitoba. Click on each picture to visit her website and learn more about the different methods she uses!
By repurposing your product you’re saving on cost, reducing your carbon footprint, and giving a whole new life to your buds. Try out a few of these ideas and be sure tag us @floristssupply in all your projects!
Read more about upcycling in our blog Floral Upcycling: An Attainable Way to Be Sustainable.