How To Make Dry Flowers At Home For The First Time
As the best flower shop in KL with years of experience in the floral industry, we’ve often been asked by customers how they want to make dry flowers at home after they’ve enjoyed them. Many of them, especially those who received the flowers as gifts from loved ones, find it difficult to part with them.
Today, we’re sharing a completely free and easy technique to make dry flowers at home that will keep them looking beautiful for years to come. These methods are inspired by the techniques we use at our flower shop in Ipoh, KL, and Penang to create long-lasting arrangements.
Remember: The key to successful flower drying is to start with fresh, healthy flowers. Avoid flowers with wilting petals or signs of disease.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!’
- There are other type of flowers that will last for years without even having to dry it
- FIND OUT MORE: Soap Flowers, What Are They and How to Use Them
Air-Drying Process to Make Dry Flowers
Air Drying is one of the easiest and most common methods for drying flowers at home. It’s a straightforward process, but achieving the best results involves a few key steps. Here’s how you can do it:
Materials Needed:
- Fresh flowers (choose ones that are not overly delicate or moist)
- Scissors or pruning shears
- String or rubber bands (or you can just use your bouquet ribbon, much easier~)
- A small hook or a place to hang the flowers
#1. Select Your Flowers
When you receive a flower bouquet, you might want to dry all the flowers. Then, you can select a variety that is known for its drying qualities, such as roses, hydrangeas, or lavender.
However, if you only want to dry a few specific flowers, it’s crucial to choose the freshest ones. Avoid selecting flowers that are wilting or showing signs of senescence.
Why Fresh Flowers Matter:
- Optimal drying: Flowers that are in full bloom but not overblown are most likely to dry successfully.
- Wilted flowers: Flowers that are wilting or past their prime are more prone to mold or disintegrate during the drying process.
- Longevity: Freshly cut flowers are more likely to retain their color, shape, and texture after drying.
By carefully selecting the freshest flowers from your bouquet, you can ensure that your dried arrangements will look beautiful and last for years to come.
- Do you know how to take care of your new delivered flowers?
- FIND OUT HERE: How To Care For A New Delivered Flower
#2. Prepare Your Flower
In this step, you need to remove any excess leaves or foliage that might interfere with the drying process. This is important because these parts of the plant can retain moisture and cause mold or mildew to develop on your dried flowers.
Here are some specific steps you can take to prepare your flowers:
- Remove any damaged or wilted petals as it can affect the overall appearance of your dried flowers.
- Cut the stems to the desired length as it will help you create the desired arrangement.
- Strip off any leaves or foliage that are below the point where you want to hang the flowers. These lower leaves are more likely to retain moisture and cause problems.
By taking these steps, you’ll ensure that your flowers dry evenly and retain their vibrant colors.
#3. Tie Your Flowers Together
For this step, you can use a string, a rubber band, or a ribbon to tie the flowers together. But as we always do in our shop and recommend, just use the ribbon that wrapped the bouquet. Since you’ve already opened the wrapping plastic, why not make use of all the bouquet?
Now, you have to make sure the knot is tight enough to hold the bouquet together, but not so tight that will damage the flowers. Then, we will create a small loop with the ribbon to hang the bouquet upside down. This will allow you to easily hang the bouquet from a hook or nail or to make it more easy for you, you can just hang on the chair. Just as we did!Â
#4. Hang Your Flowers Upside Down
Now here comes the fun part! As we mentioned, to make it easy for you to dry flowers at home, you can just hang dry your flowers on the side of the chair. If your chair doesn’t have this kinda like pole thingy, then you can find a cloth hook or hanger and hang it between your cloth rack.Â
But please protect them from direct sunlight as it can cause the colours to fade. Better if you can store and keep them in a dark or dimly lit location and dry environment. If you put it in humidity area, mold or mildew will grow on your flowers which will not make your flowers to dry at the best position.
#5. Drying Time
As you have left your flowers hanging out there, now you just have to wait patiently and allow the flowers to dry for about 1 – 2 weeks depending on the type of flower, humidity, and temperature.
You can also check your flowers periodically. You know it’s ready when they feel brittle to the touch. Also, the petals should not feel tacky or soft.
#6. Store Your Dry Flowers
Last step is you can keep your dried flowers in a vase or use them in crafts. Some people choose to spray them with a light coat of hairspray to help preserve them further and reduce breakage. Another elegant way to preserve and display them is framed the dried flowers. This method not only keeps the flowers safe but also turns them into a unique piece of art.Â
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- CLICK HERE: Happy Retirement Wishes: The Best Messages and Quotes to Send with Flowers
FAQs
What are some common mistakes people make when drying flowers?
While drying flowers can be a rewarding experience, there are a few common mistakes people often make. First is using flowers that are already wilting, overly mature or too delicate. We know that you want to savour the moment with your fresh flower bouquet but if you intend to dry them, you need to act fast before it’s too late.
Second is drying flowers in direct sunlight which can cause color fading. Maybe some people think that when the flowers get exposed to the sunlight it’ll make the process fater. However, this is wrong! Don’t ever do this. As we mentioned above, you can opt for a dark or dimly lit area. This will help to retain the flowers’ vibrant colors.
What are the best flowers to dry out?
Here are some of the best flowers for drying:
- Roses: Classic and timeless, roses dry beautifully.
- Lavender: Known for its fragrant properties, lavender is a popular choice for drying.
- Hydrangeas: The large, fluffy blooms of hydrangeas dry well and retain their shape.
- Baby’s breath: These delicate flowers dry beautifully and are often used in dried arrangements.
- Statice: With their papery petals, statice flowers dry well and come in a variety of colors.
- Delphinium: The tall, spiky blooms of delphinium can be dried and used in arrangements.
- Allium: The round, globe-shaped blooms of allium dry well and add a unique texture to arrangements.
Do you sell dried flowers?
No, we don’t sell dried flowers at this time. However, we offer a wide selection of fresh flowers that are perfect for any occasion, from weddings and graduations to birthdays, anniversaries, or even just a little self-treat. Let us help you find the perfect bouquet to suit your needs.
