What to Do With Dried Flowers

Create potpourri with dried flowers.

Dried flowers retain much of their color and beauty. Some varieties even retain their fragrance, depending on the drying method used. While commonly used to add color and scent to potpourri and sachets, the flowers also make a natural craft item for use in projects and decorative items.

Framed Art

Pressed flowers become flat during the drying process, making them suitable for use in picture frames. A standard frame fitted with a mat provides a background on which to arrange the floral display. The glass inside the frame helps protect the flowers from moisture and air damage. Two sheets of glass in a frame provide the basis for a flower display that mimics stained glass. Sandwich the flowers between the sheets of glass. Glass paint allows you to paint borders that resemble stained glass.

Flower Arranging

Air- and desiccant-dried flowers retain their shape, making them best suited to three-dimensional uses such as flower bouquets. The addition of dried foliage or grasses further fills out the vase. Unlike fresh flower arrangements, a dried bouquet lasts for many years. The stems may not survive the drying process or they may break easily during arranging, but permanent stems wired into the flower head before you begin to dry provides a long-lasting and bendable option to the natural stems.

Swags and Wreaths

Three-dimensional flowers help fill out decorative swags and wreaths. Using a combination of dried foliage in colors that complement the season allows you create a wreath for every month in the year. Swags consist of fresh or artificial foliage, such as pine boughs, adorned with small bunches of colorful dried flowers. Use swags and wreaths with dried flowers indoors only, as the moisture outdoors causes the flowers to mildew and fall apart.

Paper Crafts

Dried petals and pressed flowers add a natural touch to paper crafts. Leaves, seeds and flowers add texture and color to handmade papers. The flowers also can adorn purchased papers with the help of a little glue. Use dried flowers as embellishments in scrapbooks, for homemade cards or to adorn bookmarks. Create windows in the paper items with dried flowers suspended inside by sealing the flower between two layers of clear contact paper. Place the windows on the front of a card or handmade gift bags and envelopes.

References

• Texas A&M University: Aggie Horticulture: Drying Flowers
• University of Vermont Extension; Annuals Cut and Dried; Leonard P. Perry