The Art Of Pressed Flowers

Preserving fresh flowers has been a tradition through the ages and provides lasting enjoyment of nature's blooms. Pressing flowers is easy and fun with simple tools and a little time and patience. After pressing, flowers can endure the test of time with a preserved abundance of natural color and delicate shapes.

Choosing flowers

To start, choose flowers that offer vivid colors with thin petals, as they are more readily suited for pressing. Some common flowers used include miniature roses, pansies, African violets, hydrangea, white narcissus, daisies, and other flowers easily grown at home. Experiment with your favorite blooms to discover which ones work best for you.

Cutting and collection

When cutting flowers, make sure to leave about a half-inch of the stem. Handle them very carefully so as to not damage or bruise the petals. When collecting, try to keep them from touching each other at this point. Collect all your items for pressing before cutting the blooms, or put the fresh-cut blooms in the refrigerator until you are set to start pressing. This helps keep them from wilting. The following are a few methods for pressing flowers that are simple and very effective.

The book method

This is a tried-and-true method for drying flowers. The only tools needed are a few thick heavy books, paper towels or blank newsprint, and flowers. Take a thick book and open to the middle, placing a layer of paper towels on the open face. Then add a few flowers, spacing them out and being careful to not let them touch. Place another paper towel over them and close the book carefully. Stack more heavy books or objects on top of the pressing book for maximum pressure. You can also place the paper towels and blooms under the book if you are concerned about damaging pages, but generally, this is not a problem.

Flowers should be dry and pressed in about 10 days. Don't keep opening the books to check on them or it may ruin the placement and break off petals; just have patience! Once the flowers are dried and pressed, spray them with a gentle mist of hairspray to help preserve them. Use your flowers for making beautiful displays that will be enjoyed for years to come.

The Wood Press

If desired, a flower press produces equally beautiful results. These can be purchased at most craft stores or made easily with a few simple materials. To make one, just use two squares of wood and drill a hole near each corner. Use long bolts and wing nuts for securing the two pieces together. Then following the same procedures above, simply tighten the wing nuts evenly for secure pressure. You can even add extra weight if desired.