Sure, living in NYC means you can pick up fresh flowers at any hour or have them delivered to your door whenever you like. But pressed flowers have their own beauty, especially when they’re from a picture-perfect spring day or from someone you love. They make lovely framed decorations, as well as personalized greeting cards or bookmarks.
Here’s how to preserve your favorite spring blooms year-round—and perhaps even gift them to someone special.
Pick the Proper Petals
We wish we could save all the flowers of spring, especially when the cold weather hits. However, some types of flowers simply press better than others. Daisies, pansies, violets, forget-me-nots, Queen Anne’s lace, and most wildflowers all press well because they have a single layer of flat-shaped petals, allowing them to dry quickly. Ferns and clovers also turn out nicely.
To make sure your pressed flowers hold their color and shape over time, choose ones with unblemished petals as soon as they bloom. Pressing flowers causes the color to fade a bit, and any creases or other flaws in the petals cause discoloration, too.
As gorgeous as peonies, roses, and hydrangeas are, they have too much moisture and large, round buds that make pressing and drying too difficult. Enjoy them while they’re fresh, or create a dried bouquet: Wrap rubber bands around the bottom of the bundle and hang them upside-down in a dry place for several days. An unused closet works well, as does a curtain rod by a sunny window.
Give Them a Squeeze
By far, the tried-and-true way to press flowers reliably is to use a hefty book, preferably one where you won’t mind if a little moisture from the flowers gets on the pages.
First, remove any unwanted leaves from the flowers. Then place two sheets of absorbent paper between the book’s pages. We like watercolor paper, parchment paper, blotting paper, or even coffee filters.
Arrange the flowers in a single layer between both sheets and then gently close the book to avoid wrinkling the petals. Placing another book or two on top of the one sandwiching the flowers will add more weight, making for a better press. Now just be patient: Leave your book press alone for about three weeks.
You also might try using a wooden flower press available at a hobby shop. It uses the same principle as the book method but presses the flowers between two pieces of wood, tightened with wingnuts and bolts. Again, we recommend sandwiching the flowers to press between parchment paper or wax paper, not the bare wood itself.
When you’re ready to remove the flowers, use tweezers, and proceed gently. Spritz them lightly with hairspray to seal the color, experts say.
Create Your Display
Pressed flowers add an elegant, old-fashioned touch to a variety of craft projects. A favorite is a display in a frame or a shadowbox. Place a backdrop of watercolor paper or cardstock in your preferred color on the back panel of the frame or shadowbox, then arrange your blooms however you like. Just keep the frame out of direct sunlight, which can brown the petals over time.
Create a bookmark with your flowers by again choosing a backdrop of craft paper or watercolor paper. Delicately arrange your flowers and laminate them between contact paper to hold the blooms in place.
You also could display your blooms between a double-glass frame. Arrange the flowers and press them between the glass, much like you did when drying them. Some frames include a chain for hanging, so you can let your wall color be the backdrop.
Turn a small terrarium into a paper lantern to show off your pressed flowers. First, use an iron on low heat (no steam) to seal the flowers between two pieces of waxed paper. Then tape the panels of waxed paper inside the terrarium. Add a battery-powered tea light for a soft glow.
Do you have other ways you love to display pressed flowers? Stop by one of our locations to let us know, or share your idea on social media and tag us @plantshednyc!
