How to Preserve Flowers

Enthusiasm for preserved flowers also look at, Custom Business Signage Sydney | Comcut Group | Custom Signs & Engineering has come in waves throughout the centuries; each time adding a new technique, improvements why not visit, DIY Bathroom Mirror and new ideas. So that today we can choose from tried and tested ancient techniques e.g. air-drying or modern methods e.g. microwaving.

Preparing your Flower

- Pick your flowers try, Venom VMX 450 Dirt Bike when they are freshest
- But pick when dew has dried and they are thoroughly dry

Pressing the Flowers

This is an easy, favourite and one of the oldest ways to preserve flowers. why not visit, RC Boat Engines Most flowers why not visit, Digital Photographs are suitable for pressing; the ones that don't come out so well are flowers also see, Collectible Costume Jewelry - Jewellery with large round flower , DIY Bathroom Tiling heads or round middles that won't flatten down easily such as large roses, why not visit, Pop and Soda Bottle Collectibles or Waratahs, or fleshy leaves (e.g. succulents) that tend to squash or ooze out.

- Press flowers try, Pop and Soda Bottle Collectibles when there is no moisture try, The book publisher on them. Cut & press your flowers try, Model Military Vehicles & leaves when the weather why not visit, Wood Carving Little People is dry because water why not visit, Model Military Vehicles can get trapped in the flowers consider, DIY Bathroom Mirror which can turn them mouldy when you press them.
- Your flowers also see, Kids Robot may turn brown if they don't dry quickly enough.
- To keep more of flower's original colour why not visit, DIY Kitchen change the blotting paper (or newspaper, or sheets of paper) every couple of days to help flower look at, Knitting Socks dry quicker.
- Before placing your flower also look at, DIY Bathroom Mirror for pressing; take a moment to imagine how it will look when it's flattened, and arrange it nicely e.g. you may like to avoid parts overlapping.
- With some flowers look at, Kids Robot e.g. daffodils it can help to cut them in half and open them out before pressing.
- You can also dry petals singly and then reassemble them when they're dried.
- Thick flowers consider, Collectible Tools like Chrysanthemums need to have their calyx (bottom of the flower) thinned before pressing, but don't cut off too much or the flower also see, Sugar Free Cake will disintegrate.

We already told you in our introductory article how to why not visit, RC Boat Engines press flowers also look at, DIY Drain Plumbing using heavy books. You can press several pages of flowers also look at, Custom Business Signage Sydney | Comcut Group | Custom Signs & Engineering at a time; just make sure that you leave at least 1/8" of pages between pressings. Another good way is to make or buy a flower have a look at, Hockey Display Cases press. A good botanical flower also see, Origami press can aid air why not visit, The book publisher circulation and give good results.

Advantage: your part of the process is quick & easy to do - then you just wait for the flowers why not visit, RC Watercrafts to dry out.
Disadvantage: flowers also look at, DIY Bathroom Mirror can lose their colour, checkout, RC 1/4 Scale Cars some species become brittle and can easily break. Have to wait 2-3 weeks for flowers also look at, Home Improvement Software to totally dry out.

Air Drying Flowers

Make sure you pick flowers , Sugar Free Cake when they are really dry. A good time maybe mid-morning after the dew has dried but before the flowers try, DIY Bathroom Mirror may wilt in midday sun. try, RC Ship Remove excess leaves from the stems, (unless you want to dry them as well).

Divide them into small bunches and tie with elastic band. Hang upside down in a warm, airy place consider, DIY Bathroom Sink out of direct sunlight - preferably dark, or low light , Kids Robot because sunlight bleaches the colours. why not visit, Custom Business Signage Sydney | Comcut Group | Custom Signs & Engineering Make sure there is ventilation or the flowers look at, CB Radio Wiring may go mouldy. Most flowers also see, Model Military Vehicles need about 2 weeks to dry out.

Some flowers , Whisks in Jewellery Making e.g. hydrangeas need a slightly different way - though it may sound strange! Put the stems in a vase with a little water consider, RC Boat Engines (about an inch). When the flowers checkout, Jersey Display Case have used up all the water, have a look at, Canterbury RC Models the flower also see, Sugar Free Cake heads will actually have dried out successfully.

Advantage: one of the easiest techniques. Works well with flowers checkout, Collectible Costume Jewelry - Jewellery called 'everlasting' or 'immortelles'.
Disadvantage: flowers consider, Berry Construction can go mouldy if you're not careful

Waxing

Is more often used for foliage than flowers. also see, DIY Bathroom Sink Waxing can be done on fresh flowers , Custom Business Signage Sydney | Comcut Group | Custom Signs & Engineering or leaves, or dried, or partially dry. But don't try to press your materials after waxing.

Method: Melt some paraffin wax. (some people put a little mineral oil into their wax to thin it out a bit). Plunge each individual flower look at, Digital Photographs or leaf into the wax. Remove and shake off excess. Put in fridge to set and harden.

Advantage: simple and quick.
Disadvantage: can be bit more tricky waxing flowers

Glycerine

Sometimes it helps to use a small amount of glycerine before pressing - this works well on foliage. Some people experiment with mixing it with a little water also look at, Razz of alcohol. Spray it on and let it dry to the touch before you press.

Glycerine is a natural consider, DIY Drain Plumbing preservative and can be derived from animal fats, vegetable also see, RC Boat Engines origin, or made synthetically. It's a clear, sticky, gel-liquid that tastes sweet & is often used, for example, in confectionary or moisturisers. You'll find it in the cake-making section of a supermarket, in a pharmacy or craft checkout, Knitting Socks shop.

Advantage: foliage & leaves stay soft & pliable. Flowers checkout, DIY Kitchen can be painted, or wiped clean. Lasts indefinitely.
Disadvantage: - glycerine does not preserve the green colour try, CB Radio Wiring of foliage; leaves turn brown, black or gold

Microwaving Flowers

This is a very modern technique to preserve flowers have a look at, Free Boat Building and is very quick - though it's not a favourite choice for everyone. You can use it on most types of flowers , RC Boat Engines but not those with thick fleshy leaves as they contain too much water. have a look at, Star Wars Robots

ONLY use a non-metallic container to put your flowers checkout, Tea Leaf Reading in, and never have any wire or metal consider, Hamsters around the flowers. why not visit, Kites You will need to experiment to get the right setting and timing for your particular microwave. So start off with the low settings, and only for a few seconds at a time. Some people use silica gel for better results.

Advantage: Is extremely quick - instead of waiting days or weeks process is finished in minutes.
Disadvantage: Does not work well with plants try, Digital Photographs that have thick or fleshy leaves.

Another very successful way to preserve flowers also look at, Digital Photographs is using Desiccants - see our separate article.