5 easy methods to dry flowers

A bouquet of fresh flowers brings color and life into the home. Dried flowers are at a disadvantage on these two points, but offer their own decorative charm for much longer, which is more sustainable.

In principle, all flowers can be dried, but roses and helichrysum are among those preferred by fans. Pansies, hydrangeas, daisies, Chinese lanterns or alquequenjes and lavender are also ideal.

1. Air drying flowers

The easiest and most energy-saving way is to air dry the flowers. To get the best results You must choose a dark, warm and dry place for this, such as an attic or a basement, if one is available. For the rest, you only need the flowers that you want to dry and little else apart from a dose of patience.

Are needed:

Fresh flowers or a bouquet of flowers Twine or raffia ribbon

Time needed to prepare the flowers for the drying process of several weeks: 10 minutes.

Ideally, you will start the process once the flower buds are fully open and the bouquet is still fresh:

How to prepare flowers:

If there are already some withered petals, pluck them. If you want you can remove the leaves from the stems and dry the damp stems well.

Hang the flowers:

Secure the stems to a string or raffia ribbon and hang the bouquet upside down. During the drying process, you may need to re-tighten the string as the stems will shrink a bit over time. Let dry for about 2 to 4 weeks.

If you have hairspray at home, you can spray the flowers with it. It is the advice that they usually give in florists. It serves for better conservation and to maintain the colors of the flowers.

2. Drying flowers in the oven

The kiln drying process it is faster than outdoors, but consumes much more power.

To use this method take a piece of metal mesh and thread the stems of the flowers through the holes, allowing the flowers to rest on the mesh and the stems to hang freely.Individual flowers can also be spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. or an alternative to parchment paper. Set the oven to 35-40ºC and hold the oven door ajar with a wooden spoon. Drying time is approximately 1-2 hours, but varies by type and quantity. Let the dried flowers cool down. Then, You can also use hairspray for better conservation.

3. Drying flowers with glycerin

An especially useful method for roses and hydrangeas is drying with glycerin.

To use this method, Mix water and glycerin in a 2:1 ratio. Cut the flowers from the stems at an angle and place them in the mixture. After a few days, the flowers will have absorbed the solution and any remaining water will have evaporated. Meanwhile, the glycerin has caused the flowers to dry out. When the preservation process is complete, small drops form on the petals.If you want to keep a whole bouquet, place the flowers in a vase with a mixture of water and glycerin until droplets form (about 1-2 days). Then remove the bouquet and air dry it upside down.

4. Drying flowers with salt or silica gel

Without having to turn on the oven and faster than outdoors, drying salt and silica gel can be used for dehydration with good results.

For this drying method, You need an airtight container, the bottom of which is first covered with a thin layer of flower drying salt or silica gel. Then you put the flowers in and cover them completely with the salt or silica gel. Once covered, close the container.

After about a week, the flowers have dried and you can remove them. Carefully remove any residue with a brush. The advantage of silica gel is that you can reuse it for the next drying process.

5. Dry flowers in a book

If you have some thick tomes at home, you can also dry flowers in them and make them last longer this way. Small, flat flowers are more suitable for this procedure.

Cover the flowers on both sides with parchment paper and place them in the middle of a thick book. Check the drying process after approximately 2-4 weeks.

Gently remove the dried flowers with a pair of tweezers. Pressed flowers are ideal for decorating cards or framing