How to Make Dried Pink Rose Buds

Dry rose buds in silica gel to preserve their color.

Pink rose buds from your garden will last in a vase with water for about a week. Roses from a florist will last a little longer, but if you want to preserve your rose buds for years to come, dry them. You could simply hang the rose buds upside down by their stems in a dry spot. This is the traditional way to dry flowers. However, the method takes weeks and results in faded flowers. To preserve the pretty pink color of the rose buds, you need to dry them quickly with a desiccant such as silica gel. The desiccant sucks moisture out of the petals so they can dry before the color fades.

Things You'll Need

• Bag of silica gel
• Plastic container about 12 inches deep
• Spoon

Instructions

1. Pick the rose buds you want to dry and cut off the stems to the desired length. The longer the stems, the more silica gel you need.

2. Pour silica gel into a plastic container until it is about 1 inch thick.

3. Place a rose bud in the silica gel with the stem facing down so it is standing up straight, supported by the silica gel. Repeat for the rest of the buds.

4. Scoop silica gel into the container with a spoon until the container is filled up to the top of the buds.

5. Let the buds dry for one or two days. Carefully remove a flower to see if it is completely dry. It should have a papery texture when it is done.

References

• A Flower Arranger's Garden: Preserving Flowers