How to Preserve Wedding Flowers & Invitations
Many people consider their wedding one of the most special days in a lifetime and look for ways to preserve the memory. Along with a piece of the wedding cake, some brides save their wedding flowers and invitations as keepsakes. Several companies do this type of work professionally, but it can sometimes be very costly. Many brides choose to do the flower and invitation preservation themselves to cut overall costs of the wedding.
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Things You'll Need
- Blotting paper
- Newspaper
- Heavy books or flower press
- String or twine
- Silica gel
- Paper towels
- Craft glue
- Picture frame
- Small paintbrush
- Polyurethane
Instructions
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Pressing
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1
Separate the bouquet to press each flower individually.
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2
Place the individual flower on blotting paper and then cover with another piece of blotting paper.
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3
Place newspaper on the top and bottom of the blotted flower. Repeat with each flower. Cover with heavy books and leave for two weeks.
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4
Move the pressed flowers to a scrapbook or frame.
Air-Dry
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5
Remove all lower leaves from flower stems. Bundle the flowers and secure tightly with string or twine.
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6
Hang the bundle upside down in a dark, dry location, and leave them there for 5 to 10 days.
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7
Display dried flowers in a vase.
Silica Gel
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8
Remove all leaves from flower stems. Pour silica gel into the bottom of a large, airtight container.
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9
Place flower stems in gel and then cover the rest of the flowers with the remaining gel.
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10
Close the airtight container and leave for 10 days.
Silica Gel in Microwave
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11
Remove all leaves from the flower stems. Apply gel to the flowers, blooms and stem.
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12
Place flower blooms in between two paper towels and microwave from one to three minutes.
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13
Allow the flowers to cool for 30 minutes and then wipe away any remaining gel on petals.
Invitations
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14
Open the picture frame and mount the invitation to center of frame paper using the craft glue. Wipe air bubbles and smooth out the invitation.
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15
Paint the invitation with polyurethane and allow it to dry completely.
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16
Close the frame and hang to display.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Protect any work areas to ensure the materials don't damage your furniture. Keep your work area well-ventilated when working with glues and chemicals.
Do not attempt to freeze-dry flowers at home. While many think this type of preservation method is the best-looking, it should be done by a professional.
