How to Perserve Flowers
Preserving flowers is one way to remember a special occasion. A beautiful bouquet or flower arrangement can be preserved to last for years to come. Flower preservation is a time-honored art, and there are many methods of drying and preserving flowers. One such way is the method of hanging flowers to dry. The method of air-drying flowers and foliage is effective for all sizes of flowers, since you can adjust the drying time to suit the flowers being preserved. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Cut off wilted foliage and flowers so that your dried flowers look their best. Trim off all wilted or discolored flower blossoms and foliage from the flowers you want to preserve. When preserving flowers from your garden, pick flowers with blooms that are just beginning to open.
-
2
Place flowers in groups of 10 flowers each. Group flowers of similar size and thickness together as smaller flowers will dry faster.
-
-
3
Tie your flower bundles together with twine. Leave about 10 inches of twine hanging from each bundle.
-
4
Use the extra length of twine to secure each bundle to the bottom rung of a coat hanger. Hang two to three bundles from each hanger.
-
5
Hang your flower bundles in a cool, dry place for at least two weeks. Once the flowers are fully dried, they should feel dry and brittle to the touch.
-
6
Remove the flowers from the hangers and spray them with hairspray to preserve their color.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Use dried flowers to make your own potpourri.
For a different dried flower arrangement, pick wildflowers and foliage from a nearby field.
Display dried flowers in a vase out of the reach of children and pets and where the flowers can't be bumped into or accidentally crushed.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images schere image by Mareen Friedrich from Fotolia.com
