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Although there are some things we wish could last forever, or a moment we wish would never end, ultimately they do. The memory of the special event, however, can be preserved for us to recall and enjoy for a long time to come. Drying flowers is a simple and inexpensive way to preserve these cherished moments.
There are multiple ways to use your flowers after preserving them for crafts and decorations. Whether they were a gift, or from a special day, or just out of your home garden, they can be made into something to enjoy long into the future.
Dried flowers can be used for a variety of purposes. For a special event, such as a wedding, some people want to preserve their bouquets. After following drying instructions bouquets can be placed as a wall hanging next to the wedding photo, in a shadow box, or simply placed on a table or in a hutch. After flowers are dried they can also be put back in a vase and set on a table.
If a single flower is preserved, perhaps to save on space, it can be laid over the wedding frame on in front of the wedding photo. Individually dried flowers can also be used when making a wreath.
Flowers do not have to have special meaning, any flower that dries well can be used to make an arrangement. In addition to adding a variety of leaves, berries, ribbon or other embellishments, dried flowers look beautiful in a wreath. Sometimes less is more, if your wreath is not looking right, try lessening the amount of items in it.
Of course the Rose is the best flower to dry, it comes in many colors and sizes, and has the most history of all the flowers.
Here is a list of other flowers that dry well:
* Amaranthus - tassels of red to maroon blooms dangle, giving this 3- to 5-foot-tall annual its nickname, love-lies-bleeding.
* Baby's breath - small, delicate white flowers which form lacy sprays on tall stems.
* Bells of Ireland - green, bell-shape calyxes on its 2- to 3-foot tall stems. A lemony-mint aroma remains after drying.
* Bergenia - small pink bell like flowers, along with lavender, they smell delicious.
* Cockscomb - resembles the deep red to purple comb of a rooster.
* Globe amaranth - clover like flowers in a wide range of colors, red, yellow, pink, and white, a dwarf purple strain and a deep pink and white bicolor bloom.
* Globe thistle - purple thistle heads that can look very striking.
* Goldenrod - small, delicate golden blooms on long stems.
* Larkspur and Delphinium - tall rods of multicolored flowers ranging from white to purple. (be careful, these can be very moist, and need to be dried thoroughly so that they do not mold.)
* Love in a mist - tissue like purple blooms and spectacular seed pods, both can be dried.
* Munstead Lavender - most fragrant of all lavenders with deep-purple blooms.
* Statice - tight clusters of bell like flowers in a range of colors including purple, red, white and pink.
* Sweet Annie - lacy green foliage which some gardeners compare to feathers.
* Victoria blue salvia - tall stems with delicate purple blooms.
* Yarrow - lacy flowers in a range of colors including red, pink and white.
Now for some flower drying methods:
Hang Drying
Hang drying or air drying, as many call it. You want to start with fresh flowers, as older flowers tend to lose their petals in the drying process. Be sure to remove all the leaves so you have bare branches. Fan the flower stems in such a way that none of the flower heads touch. Now tie the bottom of the bunch with a string or rubber band and let them hang upside down. Be sure to place the bouquet in a dry, dark space for about two maybe three weeks. It is important that the flowers are completely dry before you use them.
The hang drying method is great if you want to decorate in the shabby sheik way. Some will take the hanging bouquet after drying and hang it from a curtain or maybe on the wall or where ever else it makes sense.
Sand Drying
The flower drying technique using sand requires a bit more effort, but works well. Use a rose while it is at its best, clip the stem so that about 1 inch is left. Be sure the leaves and stem are dry. This means no dew or other water. Put florists wire into the stem and into the head of the flower. Find an open, deep box and start filling it with white sand till the roses can stand erect in the sand.
Now carefully start putting sand around the base, and over and under all of the petals. The object is to use the sand as a method to keep the shape of the rose. Continue filling the box with sand until every rose is enclosed. Move the sand and flower filled box to a dry place and leave it for 2 to 3 weeks. Be very careful when transferring dried flowers, they are very fragile. With caution tilt the box to start emptying the sand. Hold onto each flower as it becomes free of the sand and keep going till all flowers are free form the sand.
This method is great for making wreaths or other flower arrangements.
Pressing
Flowers can also be preserved by being pressed. This method is simple and can be used for things you want to keep forever, or for special cards or invitations. Although you can buy kits to press, they can also be made by having several layers of cardboard stacked with flowers laid out on each sheet and then bound with adjustable straps that you can tighten to ensure a successful drying process.
Pressed flowers are very versatile in their uses. When making wedding announcements a pressed flower of the wedding colors is a beautiful addition to the invitations. They can also be used to make cards or baby announcements. Another option for pressed flowers is to place them as a garden scene in an old window or frame. Glue them on a separate piece of glass, not part of the original frame, cut to the same size and then placed and secured to the frame. Any size can be attractive and used any where in a home, from a bathroom to bedroom.
The flowers do not have to be the center of the picture, but can also be placed around a photo or poem on the mat. This is a wonderful way to incorporate the flowers to the event, but do it in a small, elegant way.
If you can find a way to preserve special memories they will bring joy for years. Although fresh flowers are beautiful, dried ones can be just as enjoyable. By finding various ways to use your flowers, you will be surrounded by your memories and remember those happy times, when life might be more difficult.
