How to Dry Gaillardia for Flower Arrangements

The vivid colors of gaillardia flowers are lovely in dried arrangements.

Dried gaillardia (blanket flower) arrangements are a wonderful way to bring the beauty of garden flowers indoors all season long. Drying and preserving gaillardia is a simple process, and the dried flowers look attractive in arrangements, wreaths and other craft projects.

Things You'll Need

• Gaillardia flowers and stems
• Small rubber bands
• Eye hooks (optional)
• String (optional)
• Hair spray (fine mist)

Instructions

1. Harvest the flowers, making sure to leave at least 2 inches of stem; longer is preferred. Strip the leaves and any excess foliage from the stems. Band small groupings of flowers together with rubber bands.

2. Locate a dark, dry area where the flowers can hang undisturbed. A little-used storage closet or attic could work well. Suspend the flower bunches from hooks or nails. If you don't have a place to hang the flowers, you can create a sort of "clothesline" by screwing small eye hooks into the drywall or woodwork on opposite walls. Attach a length of string to one hook, then attach the opposite end of the string to the other hook.

3. Leave the flowers undisturbed until they are completely dry, checking them every few days. When the flowers feel dry to the touch and rustle when you move them they are finished drying.

4. 

   Dried flowers make a beautiful addition to craft projects and arrangments.

   Lay newspaper on a table. Carefully undo the rubber band securing the bunches and spread the individual flowers carefully on the newspaper. Spray the flowers lightly with a fine mist hairspray. Allow the hairspray to dry thoroughly. Rotate the flowers to expose their opposite sides and spray again to cover the entire flower. After the hairspray dries, the gaillardia flowers are ready for use in craft projects or dried arrangements.

Tips & Warnings

• Begin with flowers that are just coming into bloom. Flowers that are fully open or past their peak bloom are likely to lose petals during and after the drying process.

• To maintain the best color in your cut flowers make sure to remove them from sunlight once they're cut to prevent fading. The finished product will also stay in top form if you keep it in a dry, cool, shaded location out of direct sunlight.

• Dried flowers are not intended to last forever. Ideally, you should replace them every year with that season's harvest.

References

• All Free Crafts: How to Air Dry Flowers