Fresh flowers are a beautiful decoration, which unfortunately is very ephemeral. Skillful pressing allows you to get her spell permanently. The delicate beauties with the vintage touch look adorable framed or pasted on greeting cards. We present three uncomplicated methods.

Flowers are best pressed in books

Which flowers are suitable?

In principle, you can press and dry all flowers. However, treating flat flowers like violets, daisies, or lavender is easier. Spherical flowers or those with numerous leaves like roses are a bit more difficult to preserve. With these you need a bit of patience in addition to a sure instinct, because it takes up to two weeks for them to dry completely.

Don't be afraid of small flaws, for example because an insect has nibbled on a flower. Cracks or tiny holes can later account for the special charm of the pressed part of the plant.

Press flowers with books

For this you need:

  • flowers and leaves,
  • as large and heavy books as possible,
  • parchment paper,
  • things to complain about.

Method:

  1. Open the book about halfway.
  2. Place the paper on the right page of the book.
  3. Arrange the flowers so that they don't touch each other.
  4. Cover flowers with parchment paper.
  5. Close the book and put it in a warm place.
  6. Weight down with more books or heavy objects like tin cans.
  7. Leave to dry for about a week. During this time, regularly change the paper lying on the flowers. This will remove the moisture that has escaped and prevent mold from forming.

Preserve flowers with a special press

You can get special flower presses from any well-stocked craft store. Due to the high pressure of the two wooden plates, even thicker plant parts can be pressed evenly. The result is beautiful, flat buds that retain nearly their natural color.

In addition to the flower press, you only need nicely shaped flowers, leaves and parchment paper.

Method:

  1. Remove cardboard bases from press and cover with parchment paper.
  2. Arrange flowers on top so they don't touch.
  3. Put the paper on top and put it into the press so that all edges are flush.
  4. Place a wooden board over it and tighten the screws until the boards are firmly pressed together.
  5. Put in a warm place for about a week.
  6. Replace the top layer of paper after 3 days at the latest.
  7. The flowers are dry when they detach themselves from the paper below.

Squeeze flowers in the microwave

This method is particularly fast and gives very nice results. You need:

  • 2 old ceramic tiles,
  • pieces of cardboard of the same size,
  • Paper,
  • canning gum,
  • flowers and leaves.

method

  1. Place cardboard on a tile.
  2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top and arrange the flowers so they don't bump into each other.
  3. Place the second piece of cardboard over it and place the second tile on top of it.
  4. Secure with the rubber bands.
  5. Place in the microwave and run on high for 45 seconds.
  6. Remove rubber and check result.
  7. Repeat until the flower is completely dry.

tips

The pressed plant parts are quite fragile. Remove them very carefully and, if possible, hold the preserved flowers by the stem. For petals, it is advisable to use tweezers to help.

Category:

Vegetable garden