How to Preserve Flowers

Enthusiasm for preserved flowers , Free Crochet Patterns has come in waves throughout the centuries; each time adding a new technique, improvements also look at, Omaha High Poker 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, Omaha High Poker 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. look at, Small and Mini Robots Most flowers checkout, RC Cleaner Robot are suitable for pressing; the ones that don't come out so well are flowers checkout, Acutomancy with large round flower have a look at, Collectible Perfume Bottles heads or round middles that won't flatten down easily such as large roses, checkout, RC Abrams Tanks or Waratahs, or fleshy leaves (e.g. succulents) that tend to squash or ooze out.

- Press flowers look at, Wood Display Cases when there is no moisture checkout, Sugar Free Pumpkin Muffins on them. Cut & press your flowers , Advertising Collectibles & leaves when the weather also see, Scrabble is dry because water consider, RC Quadcopter Reviews can get trapped in the flowers checkout, Adhesion in Wood Carving which can turn them mouldy when you press them.
- Your flowers checkout, Aura Cleaning Sunshine Coast - Cleaning may turn brown if they don't dry quickly enough.
- To keep more of flower's original colour also look at, Things to Consider When Hiring Civil Engineers change the blotting paper (or newspaper, or sheets of paper) every couple of days to help flower look at, RC Sailboat dry quicker.
- Before placing your flower consider, RC Racing Boats 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, RC Monster Trucks 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 look at, The Ultimate Guide to Wholesale Hand Sanitisers like Chrysanthemums need to have their calyx (bottom of the flower) thinned before pressing, but don't cut off too much or the flower have a look at, JR Radios will disintegrate.

We already told you in our introductory article how to , RC Abrams Tanks press flowers checkout, RC Quadcopter Reviews using heavy books. You can press several pages of flowers try, Digital Photography Composition 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 also look at, Wholesale CB Radio press. A good botanical flower also see, RC Events press can aid air consider, Aura Cleaning Sunshine Coast - Cleaning circulation and give good results.

Advantage: your part of the process is quick & easy to do - then you just wait for the flowers , RC PNP Airplanes to dry out.
Disadvantage: flowers , Bond Cleaners Sunshine Coast - Cleaning can lose their colour, have a look at, Sugar Free Pumpkin Muffins some species become brittle and can easily break. Have to wait 2-3 weeks for flowers , RC Racing Boats to totally dry out.

Air Drying Flowers

Make sure you pick flowers have a look at, Sci-fi Robots when they are really dry. A good time maybe mid-morning after the dew has dried but before the flowers why not visit, RC Monster Trucks may wilt in midday sun. have a look at, Handheld CB Radio 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 have a look at, RC Cleaner Robot out of direct sunlight - preferably dark, or low light why not visit, Handheld CB Radio because sunlight bleaches the colours. have a look at, Fanzines Make sure there is ventilation or the flowers also look at, JR Radios may go mouldy. Most flowers checkout, RC Monster Trucks need about 2 weeks to dry out.

Some flowers try, Aura Cleaning Sunshine Coast - Cleaning e.g. hydrangeas need a slightly different way - though it may sound strange! Put the stems in a vase with a little water checkout, DIY Shops (about an inch). When the flowers consider, DIY Basement Bathroom have used up all the water, why not visit, The Ultimate Guide to Wholesale Hand Sanitisers the flower also look at, The Ultimate Guide to Wholesale Hand Sanitisers heads will actually have dried out successfully.

Advantage: one of the easiest techniques. Works well with flowers checkout, Omaha High Poker called 'everlasting' or 'immortelles'.
Disadvantage: flowers also see, RC Racing Boats can go mouldy if you're not careful

Waxing

Is more often used for foliage than flowers. look at, Servicing a Nitro RC Car Waxing can be done on fresh flowers consider, Wood Display Cases 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 , JR Radios 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 look at, Free Crochet Patterns of alcohol. Spray it on and let it dry to the touch before you press.

Glycerine is a natural why not visit, RC PNP Airplanes preservative and can be derived from animal fats, vegetable why not visit, Aura Cleaning Sunshine Coast - Cleaning 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 why not visit, Free Crochet Patterns shop.

Advantage: foliage & leaves stay soft & pliable. Flowers try, Acutomancy can be painted, or wiped clean. Lasts indefinitely.
Disadvantage: - glycerine does not preserve the green colour why not visit, RC Tiger of foliage; leaves turn brown, black or gold

Microwaving Flowers

This is a very modern technique to preserve flowers have a look at, Fanzines and is very quick - though it's not a favourite choice for everyone. You can use it on most types of flowers try, Free Crochet Patterns but not those with thick fleshy leaves as they contain too much water. also look at, The Ultimate Guide to Wholesale Hand Sanitisers

ONLY use a non-metallic container to put your flowers also see, Sugar Free Pumpkin Muffins in, and never have any wire or metal , RC Monster Trucks around the flowers. try, Fanzines 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 look at, RC Monster Trucks that have thick or fleshy leaves.

Another very successful way to preserve flowers checkout, Sci-fi Robots is using Desiccants - see our separate article.