Flowers mark some of our lives’ most cherished moments. Weddings, anniversaries, graduations, birthdays – you name it! All celebrations of love and joy are adorned with fresh blooms. Yet, just like these moments, their beauty is fleeting, and before long, the lovely flowers will begin to wither.
But preserving flowers gives you some extra time to hold on to those moments and memories, keeping them for longer and turning them into keepsakes.
There are many ways you can preserve your special bouquet, and each one offers a unique way to capture its essence.
So, join us as we show you how to turn their momentary beauty into a tangible reminder of love, joy, and the milestones that shape your life.
Pressing Flowers: The Oldest Method
It is one of the oldest, most elegant ways to preserve their beauty. Violets, daisies and rose petals are ideal for this method as they retain their shape and colour quite well when flattened.
The simplest way to do this is to place your flowers between the pages of a heavy book. Layer them with parchment paper to absorb any moisture coming from the petals. You can go even further by using a specially made wooden flower press, which, while it’s not necessary, will press the flowers even more and give you faster results.
Once dried, you can use your flowers for countless creative projects. Frame them using A5 frames to arrange your own small personalised wall art, seal them into bookmarks, or even use them as your own handmade stationery detail.
Air Drying: Perfect for Preserving Bouquets
If you want to keep full bouquets for longer, air drying might be the perfect solution for you.
To begin, gather flowers like roses, lavender, or baby’s breath. Remove any excess foliage from the stems and tie them together with twine. Hang the bouquet upside down in a dry, dark space with good airflow. This is important if you want to prevent the colours from fading and want to keep their shape intact.
Depending on the flower type, drying can take anywhere from one to three weeks. Once done, you can display them in vases, arrange them into wreaths for celebrations around the year, or use them for DIY projects like potpourri.
Silica Gel Drying: Best for Preserving Shape and Colour
This is another excellent method that will effectively preserve your flowers as well as their natural shape and vibrant colours. Air drying can sometimes cause petals to shrink and darken, depending on the flower type. Silica, on the other hand, will gently absorb the moisture without damaging the delicate blooms.
Simply place a layer of silica gel in an airtight container, nestle flowers like peonies, orchids, or tulips inside, and carefully cover them with more gel. Seal the container and leave it undisturbed for several days to up to a week. Afterwards, you can use your flowers in arrangements, framed displays, or resin art. They will last for years to come.
Wax Preservation: Keeping Them Fresh for Longer
This is quite a unique technique that will help your flowers maintain their fresh appearance for an extended period of time. The blooms for which it works best are camellias and roses. When dipped in melted paraffin wax, their petals are sealed, preventing dehydration and preserving their soft texture.
For best results, we advise you to melt the wax over low heat, dump the flowers very quickly, and gently shake off the excess wax before allowing it to cool.
Your waxed flowers can be arranged in bouquets over centrepieces and used as decorative elements for any special occasion. The method will keep your flowers nearly as fresh as the day they were received.
Freezing Flowers in Resin for a Modern Keepsake
This is one of the most recent, modern and very artistic methods for creating lasting bouquets. It is perfect if you’d like to incorporate your dried keepsakes into jewellery and your home decor.
Start by selecting tiny blossoms and individual petals. The best flowers to use for this method would be forget-me-nots, baby’s breath, and pansies. Use a high-quality, crystal-clear resin and pour a thin layer into your chosen mould before carefully placing the dried flowers inside. Slowly add more resin to fully encase them and make sure no air bubbles remain.
Once cured, you can let your imagination run wild and transform them into pendants, paperweights, or coasters.
How to Care for Your Preserved Flowers
Once dried, your flowers can still be very delicate and will need some extra care to make sure they always look their best. You should do your best to protect them from dust, moisture, and direct sunlight.
To remove dust, use a soft brush or hair dryer on a cool and low setting. You can further protect them from humidity and accidental damage by putting them in a glass dome or shadow box. Finally, aim to arrange them away from windows. Otherwise, the sunlight will fade their colour.
It is natural that over time, some of your flowers and bouquets may lose their vibrancy or become extra fragile. Faded or damaged blooms can be replaced or rearranged to keep your bouquets looking fresh.
Treasuring Life’s Precious Moments
Learning how to preserve flowers from meaningful moments into lasting memories can be something truly special. Allow yourself to experiment with the many different methods to find the ones that suit your taste best. Each offers a unique technique, enabling your flowers to tell their stories of love, celebration and joy.
However, remember that even dried flowers remain fragile. They may still break over time and lose their colours. As much as we try to keep them around us and preserve their beauty for longer, they also teach us to enjoy and be present with the fleeting beauty of each special moment.
