DIY Network

Flower Power Everything's coming up roses -- and daisies and pansies and other blooming beauties -- when you create these floral fantasies. From "Creative Juice" episode DCRJ-607

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Flower Drying Techniques

Never let pretty petals go to waste! Here are some easy ideas for preserving and showing off flowers.

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1. Pressing is a quick and easy way to dry flowers; however, the contour is lost and flowers will remain flat.

2. Commercially available flower presses provide absorbent paper and screws to press flowers firmly (figure A).

3. An old telephone book is a great tool for pressing flowers. Place the flowers between sheets of waxed paper, making sure the flowers don't overlap (figure B). Slide the waxed paper into the center of a large phone book; weigh the book down with a heavy object. The time required for drying can be anywhere from 2-4 weeks.

Figure A

Figure B

4. Air-drying or hanging is an easy method for preserving most flowers. As a general rule, flowers need only to have the leaves removed and to be hung upside down in a warm, dry, dark place until the moisture content has evaporated. An attic, closet or pantry is a good place to hang flowers for drying (figure C).

5. Use dried flowers as package decorations or hot-glued to a ball to create a pomander (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

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RESOURCES :

Activa Silica Gel
Website: www.activaproducts.com

Nature Print Paper
E-mail: info@natureprintpaper.com
Website: www.natureprintpaper.com