There’s nothing like flowers to brighten up your day – but it’s also so sad to see them go. By pressing and drying a few blossoms, you can preserve them to create delicate little reminders of just how pretty they were at the start.

Choose what you want to press. I personally choose flowers and greens that have a sentimental value, like these ones from my bouquet at my sister’s wedding. You can also pick based on aesthetics, especially if you’re pressing them to frame for decoration.

Prep them for pressing. Hydrated flowers will keep their color best, so be sure they’ve been cut and have sat in a vase of water for at least a few hours beforehand. Once you’re ready, remove them from the water and dry thoroughly. Any leftover moisture can possibly cause molding or discoloration during the drying process (both of which have happened to me). If the flower has a bulky head, cutting the head in half from top to bottom will help it lay flat. This ranunculus and olive branch were both decently flat to begin with, so I left them as is.

Press them into a thick book. Grab a large enough piece of wax paper to fold into the pages so it covers both sides fully. Close it into the book so the edges stick out, and then trim those edges off. Open back to that page and place the flowers on one side. Carefully close the book while maintaining the position of the flowers. I do it slowly, peeking in at the side to make sure they don’t move out of place.

Leave the flowers to dry. Place the book under either a large stack of books or something else heavy, like a brick or paperweight. Now, you wait. Don’t get impatient! If you open the book too soon, while the flower is still wet, you’ll pull the petals apart and ruin the finished product. I usually let them sit for at least two weeks before checking.

And you’re done! All that’s left now is finding the perfect place for your newly-preserved blossoms. You can sit them on your desk or press them between glass to hang on the wall. I’ve also seen people carefully laminate sturdy ones, which would make a beautiful bookmark. I’m not sure what I’ll do with these ones, but they’ll sit pretty on my shelf for now.

I would love to see the finished product if any of you give this a go.
Don’t be shy – send me pics!