Keeping the Love Going: 6 Easy Ways to Dry Flowers

Are you unsure of what to do with those hand bouquets you received for your birthday, proposal or on Valentine’s Day? Think that there are alternatives to flower gifts and flower decorations that just aren’t fresh flowers? Well, thankfully, there’s the alternative to all these – dried flowers. And making a keepsake of memories is actually much easier than you think!

We look at 6 foolproof, effective and really easy ways you can prepare, dry and preserve your favourite buds, turning those fresh flower bouquets into everlasting souvenirs. (And it’s great for the environment too!)

1. Hang Drying
   Hang drying hand bouquets upside down is the easiest and most effective way to dry most flowers. Simply tie your bunch with a twine or string, and hang them upside down.Ensure that the bouquet is kept away from direct sunlight, and to regularly remove any leaves from the stems, as they retain moisture and will slow down the drying process.Once your bouquet is completely dried, you may opt to spray some hairspray over your flowers to preserve the shape, making them less susceptible to breaking.
2. Silica Gel
   Silica gel (or the curious little package you find in your shoebox, otherwise known as dessicants) is an alternative tool and method that helps dry the flowers quickly. Simply place your flowers in an air-tight container with some sachets of silica gel, and leave them aside to dry.Do ensure that the container is tightly sealed, as the silica gel may absorb the moisture from the air, thus affecting the drying process of the flowers.For this method, flowers like roses typically take around three weeks to dry completely.
3. Press Drying
   This method is especially effective on flatter flowers, such as daisies.Simply take a thick and heavy book, such as an encyclopaedia, and line a page with paper or parchment paper. Arrange the flowers on the paper in a way that they do not overlap. Keep the book closed thereafter, and then leave it untouched for a good one to two weeks.Once the flowers are dried, you can easily remove them and use them as bookmarks, or even have them framed up as a picture.
4. Water Vase Drying
   Water vase drying is considered a conventional and traditional method of drying. Flowers dried through this method largely maintain their original appearance.This method works especially well on robust flowers (or low-maintenance summer bloomers), such as Oriental Lilies, Russian Sage and Hydrangeas.Simply fill your vase with a small amount of water, and then place your blooms into the vase. Leave the vase in a cool and dry place. Over time, the water will evaporate, and the flowers will dry out more naturally. Once the petals are crisp and dry, the drying process is considered complete.Do note to care of any residual water in the vase in the earlier stage, as you would normally do, to ensure that you do not breed mosquitoes.
5. Microwave
   Now, here is another method of drying flowers if you do not wish to wait weeks for the full drying process.Simply take a microwave-safe container, and fill it up with an inch of drying agent (such as silica gel, cat litter or borax, which you won’t mind putting into a microwave which you may later use for other foods). Place the flower inside the drying agent, and then microwave it on high for approximately three to four minutes.Once you are satisfied with the dryness, take the container out, and let it cool for an hour before removing the dried flowers.
6. Oven
   Like how you would carefully toast your bread, your flowers can also be treated in the same way. Set the oven at 37 degrees Celsius (or 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and then place your flowers onto a tray before placing it in the oven for a good three to five hours.The total drying time will vary according to the type of flowers. And once the flower has completely dried, take them out of the oven and let them cool for about an hour.

Flowers are a Language of Love Worth Keeping

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