A Guide to Pressing Flowers

Receiving a bouquet of flowers is always a lovely surprise, and placing flower arrangements throughout the home always makes it seem brighter and more beautiful. As your flowers age, you could be forgiven for wanting to remove them to make way for another bunch, but why not preserve the sentimental essence of the gift of fauna? Pressing flowers is a wonderful way to mark an occasion and keep a decorative reminder of a loved one, and provides an opportunity to watch the fascinating drying process as you see your fresh flowers completely transform.

There are different methods for pressing flowers, whether they are daisies, carnations or roses, but our simple guide will teach you the skills to start pressing like a pro.

 

What you’ll need:

• Flowers, like lilies or roses
• A thick book for the pressing, such as a large atlas or textbook
• Baking paper

Flower pressing method:

Step 1: Select your flower
The first thing you’ll need to do is select the flowers you’d like to press. If you haven’t recently received flowers, choose an arrangement and spoil yourself. There are great options with cheap flower delivery Singapore that delivery on the same day that you order, too. The whole process may take time, but the decision to start can be spontaneous!

The best option here is to use fresh flowers that have been recently picked, to preserve their original form.

Step 2: Cut the stems
Regardless of whether you’ve picked the flowers out of your garden or purchased a box of roses, be sure to trim the stems and soak them in cold water to enable them to absorb plenty of water. If you plan on drying a flower with the stem attached, dry it completely before beginning the next step.

Step 3: Prepare your pressing materials
Once you’ve trimmed the stems (you can leave them or remove them entirely, it’s up to you), your flowers are ready. Large flowers can also be cut in half, to ensure your selected weight can evenly press each one. Open your book to the middle so there is weight on both sides, and place baking paper onto the top and the bottom pages. Be sure to cover the pages well, as you don’t want to stain your book or expose the flowers.

Step 4: Press your flowers
Place prepared flowers onto baking paper, following their natural shape (that is, if the flower starts to naturally flatten, place it down following that pattern). Carefully close the book, ensuring that the flowers are completely covered by the baking paper and have no contact with the book’s pages. Don’t add heavy weights, as there still needs to be space for air to circulate.  

Step 5: Leave your flowers to set

Leave your flowers for approximately seven days before checking to see if they are ready. If you’re happy with the result, you can remove them. If not, leave them for up to two more weeks. If at any time you notice moisture or dampness, remove the baking paper and replace it with fresh, dry baking paper.

As mentioned, there are other methods of drying flowers, including the microwave method and even a process involving hairspray! Flowers can also be freeze dried which locks in the fresh flower colour.

Once your flowers are pressed, you will have a selection of gorgeous, new decorations for the house, or beautiful pieces to give as gifts. If you’re not sure what to do with your lovely new ornaments, try one of our suggestions:

1. Why not buy your loved one a combination of fresh roses Singapore and flowers you’ve dried yourself. By contrasting the two, you’re highlighting the wonder of young love, and the wisdom of a long and happy relationship. Doing this with Valentines flowers makes for the ultimate romantic gesture.
2. If you’ve left the stems on, dried flowers can be placed in a vase (without water, of course), and displayed just like fresh flowers. They make a gorgeous centrepiece at a vintage themed party, too.
3. If you have spare lavender or aromatic oils, combine them with your dried flowers to create homemade potpourri. Keep it at home for yourself or give as a gift.
4. Designing a wreath is a gorgeous way to display your dried flowers, particularly during Christmas and the festive season. Simply take two pieces of wire (coat hangers work well) and bend them into a round shape. Using string, more wire or even hot glue, secure your flowers and decorations. Use a combination of leaves, flowers and ribbons.
5. Displaying your flowers in a frame is an easy and cheap way to decorate, and offers a reminder of the beautiful bouquet you once received. Buy a large frame and place a piece of decorative cardboard on top of the base. Using a small amount of glue, secure your flowers and any other decorations you like. Leave to dry for two hours, put frame back together and hang on a wall next to some family photographs.
6. During the festive season, tie twine to the stems of your dried flowers and hang them on your Christmas tree.

 

Pressing flowers is a lovely way to enjoy a beautiful gift, your favourite arrangement or a seasonal flower you’d like to preserve. It enables you to create unique and personalised gifts, show your creative flair with homemade decorations, or become inspired by a simple craft activity. You can experiment with different species, colours and sizes, so what are you waiting for? Visit your local florist Singapore and get drying!

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At Roses Only, our flowers are groomed to portray floral mastery. Nurtured by the worlds best growers equatorial instead, each rose reaches an impressive 65cm in length within their 15-week growing period before being distinguished by color and character. Each stem is then carefully placed in our elegant, signature gift boxes which, never fail to secure a transcendent first impression. Around here, quality is no mere coincidence.