How to Make Dried Flowers

Do you want your small house to be full of flowers even in the cold winter? You can absolutely do that by making dried flowers from your favorite flowers. There are many ways to make dried flowers and the process of experimenting to find the best dried flowers for each type of flower is also a lot of fun.

Table of Contents

Let Flowers Dry Naturally

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Pick flowers. The method of letting the flowers dry naturally will be most effective when the flowers are just budding. During the drying process, the flowers will bloom a little more. If you choose flowers that are already in full bloom, the flowers will lose their petals during the drying process. ^{[1] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to source} This method is recommended for small, vigorous flowers such as lavender or canary. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Withered flowers and pests when dry will be worse. So, choose the best flowers, and pick more than you plan to dry to prevent damage. ^{[3] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Bouquet. Cut off the leaves from the flower stalk. Separate each flower stem and bundle it into bunches of about 10 branches of each type. With large flowers like roses, hydrangeas or peonies, you should keep each flower separately to dry. ^{[4] X Research Sources}^{[5] X Trusted Sources University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Immortal flowers and some other flowers have very weak stems and will break when dried. Therefore, cut off the flower stalk and use a special thread to plug into the flower base instead. ^{[6] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Use a rubber band to tie the flower stalk. Tie an elastic band to 2-3 flower stalks, then tie a few loops to the whole bouquet; Finally, loop 1 round around 2-3 other flower stalks. ^{[7] X Research Source} The flower stalk will shrink as it dries and such tying will help to fix the flower stalk better.

Do not tie too tightly because it can cut the flower stalk, creating a groove that contains water or moisture, causing the flower stalk to rot. If you are worried about this, you can use twine or brush yarn to tie. You will probably have to re-tie the twine after the flower stalk is half dry.

Hang flowers upside down. Hang flowers in a warm, dark environment to prevent rot and reduce fading. ^{[8] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to the source} Ventilated air will help flowers dry faster and prevent mold. Therefore, hang the bouquets spaced apart in a place where there is a slight crosswind and at least 15 cm from the ceiling. ^{[9] X Research Source}

You can hang flowers on hooks, nails, or coat hangers. An easy way is to use a paper clip bent into an S shape to hang flowers. Hook one end of the S to the flower lanyard and the other end to hang on the hook. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Wait 2-4 weeks. The flower is dry enough when the petals become brittle. Sometimes it will take more than 4 weeks for the flowers to dry because the room conditions are not ideal or the petals are too thick.

The flower stalk when dried is usually very straight. If you want the flower stalk to have a natural curl, soak the dried flower stalk in warm water until it is soft and bends as desired. After that, you must keep the flower stalk in place until it is completely dry. ^{[11] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Preserve flowers with hairspray (optional). A thin layer of hairspray or flower spray will help shape the flower, protecting it from breaking or falling off its petals. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Use Microwave and Dryer

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Choose flowers. The flowers suitable for this method are flowers with many petals and the surface of the petals is not sticky or hairless. Roses, chrysanthemums and marigolds are good choices while thick-petaled flowers will not yield good results. ^{[13] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source} Cut flowers when they’re halfway open and petals are firm, before petals begin to fall. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Cut the flowers so that the flower stalk is only about 2.5–5 cm short.

Tie steel rope (optional). After microwave drying, the flower stalk will have a fixed shape. Therefore, if you want to bend the flower stalk, you can use a steel wire to tie it to the calyx, then wrap it around the flower stalk in a spiral fashion. However, metal should not be placed in the microwave. ^{[15] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

If the calyx isn’t thick enough, you can thread the wire from the center of the flower down to the stem and push the wire as deep as you can to hide it.

Pour desiccant into a microwaveable container. The desiccant can be any material with the ability to absorb moisture. Glue silica is the best choice for flowers with thin and colorful scenes, but you can also use cat litter clay as an alternative, or a 1:1 mixture of borax and cornstarch. Pour the material into the container with a thickness of about 2.5-5 cm. ^{[16] X Research Source}^{[17] X Research Source}

Bury flowers in desiccant. Carefully place the flowers face down on the desiccant, spaced at least 2 cm apart. Then slowly pour more desiccant on top. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Use a toothpick to rearrange the petals during the process if they are bent and do not retain their original shape.
Test with 1-2 flowers first to avoid burning flowers. Over time, you’ll learn exactly how long each flower will take to dry.

Put a cup of water in the oven. A cup of water in the oven will help absorb some of the energy, helping to prevent the flowers from burning or getting too dry. ^{[19] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Turn on the oven. Put the flower container in and turn on the oven for 2 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if the flower is dry. If not, keep turning on the oven and stopping to check every minute.

You may fail and have to repeat this process many times because different flowers and microwaves require different time. Some delicate flowers like daisies will do well with low heat, just above defrosting. ^{[20] X Research Source} While many other flowers with thick petals will need to be placed in the oven for about 8 minutes on medium or high heat.

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Let the flowers cool for 1 day. Remove the flower container from the oven, close the lid slightly, and leave it for 24 hours. ^{[21] X Research Sources} Desiccants (especially colloidal silica) take a long time to cool and reach a safe temperature.

With dahlias, pansies and peonies, you have to leave for 36 hours. ^{[22] X Research Source} With large, thick flowers like roses and carnations, you should leave it for about 10 hours.
Keep flowers out of reach of small children and animals.

Remove desiccant. Once the container has cooled, tap the container to reveal the flowers. Then, gently lift the flower out, supporting the flower from the bottom. Use a soft brush to remove the desiccant.

If you want, you can preserve flowers with hairspray or specialized flower spray.

Flower Press

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Choose flowers. Pressing flowers works best with small, flat flowers such as pansies or lilacs. Stay away from flowers with large stems or very thin petals as they are easily damaged. ^{[23] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Place flowers on dry paper. Place the flowers on a translucent, non-glossy paper like newspaper, cardboard, or tissue, then place another sheet of paper on top. Note, do not place flowers on top of each other.

The better the type of paper that absorbs moisture, the more beautiful the flowers will be. You can try placing flowers between two sheets of newspaper, then placing both the flowers and newspaper between two sheets of blotting paper, and then between two sheets of corrugated cardboard. Finally, use tape to stick the layers together. ^{[24] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Flower press. Place under a heavy, flat, large object. Dictionaries, encyclopedias can be good choices. You can also use heavy enough boxes or pieces of wood.

Place the flower in a dry and warm place.

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Wait 1-3 weeks. After the first week, replace the flowers with new paper and continue pressing the flowers under the weight.

Stop pressing. After it’s been a few weeks, remove the flowers from the weight and layers of paper. At this point, the flower should be crispy, paper-thin, and transparent.

Dry in a Convection Oven

Prepare flowers. Cut a piece of thin wire mesh wide enough for all of your flowers. Then, thread the flower stalk through the mesh so that the mesh holds the calyx at the top and the flower stalk can swing at the bottom.

The most suitable flowers for this method are flowers with many petals, such as daisies or daisies.

Preheat oven to low for a few hours. With a convection oven, turn on the oven at 38ºC, place the flowers in the wire mesh on the grill. The low temperature in the oven will help the flowers to dry slowly; Leave the flowers in the oven for a few hours. ^{[25] X Research Source} The drying time for flowers depends on the type of flower you choose.

A convection oven with good ventilation will yield the best results. You shouldn’t do this method with conventional ovens because they trap too much moisture in the oven and the lowest possible temperature is often greater than 38ºC.

Remove the flowers from the oven. When the flowers are completely dry, you can remove the flowers from the oven and place them on a drying rack to cool. Wait until the flowers reach room temperature to proceed to the next step.

Spray with hairspray or specialized flower spray for tougher, more durable blooms.

Bury Flowers in Drying Agent

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Choose flowers. The most suitable flowers for this method are large, delicate flowers that do not fall off easily like lilies. ^{[26] X Research Source} Ideally, cut flowers when they first bloom and dry immediately afterwards.

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Choose a desiccant. The desiccant is a material with good absorbency, capable of slowly absorbing all the water from the flower. Whatever you choose, the desiccant must be completely dry to be effective. Here are some commonly used ones: ^{[27] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}

Glue silica: this is the fastest option, available at most gardening stores. Although this glue is quite expensive, you can reuse it many times (see Tips below).
Borax and white cornmeal: this is an inexpensive and simple option. Mix the two ingredients in a 1:1 or 1:6 ratio. ^{[28] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}
Fine sand: this is just a way to help shape the flower and air-dry the flower. This method will take the most time but is the cheapest.

Add non-iodized salt (optional). Although deprecated, some claim that salt helps flowers retain their color better. ^{[29] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source} Try adding 3 teaspoons of salt to 1 liter of another material (15 ml/l).

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Select the container. If you have enough material, choose a container large enough to hold the entire flower stalk when upright. However, people often save material by cutting off the flower stalks and leaving only the cotton that can fit in a shallow box. Different materials will have a different layout: ^{[30] X Trusted Source University of Missouri Extension Go to Source}^{[31] X Research Source}

For colloidal silica, use a container with a tight-fitting lid. A coffee container is the perfect choice for a flower.
For borax or sand, use a lidless container. A hard cardboard box is ideal; however, you should first check if the box is punctured.

Bury flowers in desiccant. Pour the drying material into the container with a thickness of 2.5-5 cm. Place the flower upright on top of the material so that the flower is stable. Then, slowly pour more desiccant on top until the flowers are completely buried.

If you use sand, you don’t need to completely bury the flower because the sand only acts as a support for the flower and the air will help the petals dry faster.
With flowers in the daisy family, you should turn the flower upside down. ^{[32] X Research Sources} With some other flowers such as snout flowers or swiftlets, it is best to place the flowers horizontally. ^{[33] X Research Sources}
If you still want to leave the flower stalk, you need to fill the box with enough desiccant to hold the stem.

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Wait until the flowers are dry. Keep the flower container in a dry and warm place. If you use a box without a lid, you should keep it in a well-ventilated place. After a few days, use a toothpick to check if the flower is dry.

Glue silica is the fastest flower drying material; It usually takes about 2-4 days for the flowers to dry completely. With thick-petaled flowers, it usually takes about a week. ^{[34] X Research source} Silica colloid turns pink means that the glue has reached the hygroscopic limit.
With the borax mix, you will need 5-14 days for the flowers to dry.
Using sand will take the longest time, usually 14-21 days. ^{[35] X Research Source}

Get flowers. Lightly tap the side of the box to reveal the flowers. Then, gently remove the flower from the box, supporting the flower from below. Use a soft brush to gently remove the drying agent.

If the desiccant gets on the flower, gently pour the sand down the flower from a height of 30 cm to help remove any remaining desiccant from the flower. ^{[36] X Research Source}
Taking the flowers out of the box too soon will cause the petals to fall off. Therefore, check to make sure the petals are crispy and paper-thin before taking them out.
Hairspray or flower spray will help reduce breakage.

Advice

You can also dry the seed-bearing calyx (usually after you’ve used up all the petals) to make decorations like a calyx or a lotus bowl. ^{[37] X Research Source} Place a piece of thin wire mesh or specialized flower mesh horizontally and nail it to two wooden planks to form a shelf. Insert each calyx into a mesh so that the stem can hang at the bottom. ^{[38] X Research Source}
The flowers will be darker in color after drying. The white flowers will usually turn brown while the crimson or purple flowers will turn black and the yellow flowers will stay mostly the same color. ^{[39] X Research Sources}
Colloidal silica will turn pink when wet. To dry the glue and reuse it, pour it on a piece of baking paper and place in the oven at 121ºC for 2-3 hours. ^{[40] X Research Source}

Warning

Flowers will fade gradually after being cut. So, for best results, dry flowers immediately after picking.

Steps