Sometimes when it is an occasion in which someone special has given us a bouquet of flowers, it is common for us to want to preserve them because they are a beautiful gift given to us by someone we appreciate very much or we simply want to preserve them for their beauty. But this is not always possible because many times the flowers break, wither or rot easily, so we have to look for other options to preserve their charm.
One of the most charming things about flowers is their shapes and colors, these are lost when they wither but can be better preserved if the flowers are dried. You can learn how to dry flowers in various ways depending on the type of flower and its condition.
Preserving flowers by dehydrating them is a great way to make your flowers last much longer in their natural form, even years. You just have to learn the correct technique of drying flowers.
If you have a bouquet of flowers that you want to keep with you longer or give a new use to the flowers you have, it is convenient that you learn this technique. If you want to learn how to dry flowers easily then you should read the instructions that we will put next in this guide.
What do you need to dry flowers?
- Hairspray
- Glycerin
- Flowers
- Water
- Salt
- Wardrobe
Instructions for drying flowers
- Identify the type of flower. In general, almost any flower can be dried, but for this, the state of the flower must also be taken into account. If the flower is already very open and mature, the petals may fall off when dehydrated, but if the flower is more closed it will be easier.
- Trim off flower stems, branches, and leaves that you don’t want to be part of the flower arrangement you plan to make. If what you just want are the flowers, we do not recommend cutting the buds until you finish dehydrating the flower, otherwise the drying process will be more difficult.
- It is time to put the flowers to hydrate in a vase with a little water and 1 teaspoon of salt. This process will only last 24 hours, so take care that the flowers do not spend more than 1 day soaking.
- Once that time has elapsed, it is time to crush the edges of the stems in the last 3 cm with a small stick or something to open them; we do this so that the flower can better absorb the liquids that will help us dehydrate it.
- As soon as you have all the flowers ready, you should put the stems to soak in a solution of 1 part glycerin to 2 parts water and let it rest for 3 days in a cool, clean, dry place free from sunlight.
- As soon as this time has elapsed, it is time to clean the moisture in the stems of the flower or cut them, after this you must tie the edges of the stems with thread and hang this in a cool, dry and moderately closed place such as a wardrobe. You should only ensure that there is ventilation, but not excessively, since both the gusts of air and the external contamination could cause the flower to rot or fall apart.
- We will let this dry for a whole day and the next day very carefully, we will apply hairspray on the flowers and let this dry, as soon as we have noticed that the first layer of lacquer is dry, it is time to apply another one again and so on until have applied 3 coats. We will let dry for 1 more day and after this we will have finished drying our flowers.
Tips for drying flowers
- It is not recommended to leave the flowers drying in a place with a humid environment, as the flowers could rot, so it is always better to opt for cabinets with stable ventilation. For example, hang flowers in the closet and leave the door slightly open to prevent moisture buildup.
- With the most fragile flowers, it is better to let them dry by applying lacquer to them from the moment they are fresh and omitting the use of glycerin.
- It is also good to substitute salt for lime when it comes to very fragile flowers.
