Drying Flowers For Fun And Beauty

Drying flowers is an easy way to preserve the beauty of a fresh blossom or a favorite bouquet. You can dry flowers to make lovely dried floral arrangements that will last for years, or you can use the petals for aromatic potpourri. To get started, you will need only a few materials: Flowers on the stem (either separately or in a bouquet) String, dental floss, or twine Hanging rod A dry and preferably dark place for hanging Hairspray

Getting things ready

The first step is to prepare your flowers for drying. They can be dried on the stem or cut short for various blooms. Spread out your flowers and make sure not to group them too close together unless you are drying a full bouquet.

Flower arrangement

Next, take the twine, dental floss, or string and tie together the stems of the flowers in small groups. Tie off the stems about an inch or two from the bottom of the stems and make sure not to tie them too tightly as to cut into the stem. Leave some excess string or twine for hanging.

Hanging flowers

Hang your flowers in a dry, dark place, preferably somewhere with good circulation. An unused closet works well and usually already has a hanging rod installed. Tie the excess string to the hanging rod with the blooms down. Make sure to hang the flowers so each group is not touching. Pick a place for hanging that will provide an undisturbed environment for drying.

Drying process

Let the hanging flowers air-dry for about four weeks. This does take time and is the hardest part of drying flowers, but it will be worth the wait. When removing the flowers, cut the string and be careful when handling as some parts of the flowers may be quite brittle. Spray them lightly with hairspray to give them a small protective coating. Arrange them as desired either in a vase, on a wall, in potpourri, or in a delightful dried bouquet.