Guide to Drying & Preserving Bouquet Flowers
🌸 Hold onto the beauty a little longer…
Preserving bouquet flowers lets you turn fleeting moments into lasting keepsakes. Whether it’s from a wedding, garden, or a gift, dried blooms carry memories that never wilt.
Preserving flowers lets you hold onto beautiful memories and enjoy your favorite blooms long after they’ve wilted. Here are the best techniques and tips for drying your bouquet successfully.
✂️ Step 1: Choose the Right Flowers
Not all flowers dry equally well. The best ones for drying include:
- Roses
- Lavender
- Baby’s breath
- Eucalyptus
- Strawflower
- Statice
- Globe amaranth
- Hydrangea (semi-dried on the stem first)
🌿 Choose flowers that are fully bloomed but still firm and fresh — not wilted.
🧼 Step 2: Prep the Bouquet
- Gently remove any bruised petals, excess leaves, or damaged stems.
- Divide the bouquet into smaller bunches if needed.
- Tie stems with string, twine, or a rubber band — they’ll shrink as they dry.
🌬️ Step 3: Hang Drying (Best for Most Flowers)
How to do it:
- Hang your flower bundles upside down in a dry, dark, well-ventilated space.
- Avoid direct sunlight — it fades colors.
- Allow 1–3 weeks for drying, depending on the flower type and humidity.
- When the petals feel crisp and the stems snap easily, they’re done!
✅ Great for rustic bouquets and long-lasting color.
📚 Alternative Methods
1. Silica Gel Drying (Best for Preserving Shape & Colour)
- Place flowers in an airtight container filled with silica gel.
- Gently cover the blooms without crushing them.
- Seal and leave for 5–7 days.
- Carefully brush off the silica.
✅ Ideal for roses, peonies, and delicate flowers.
2. Pressing (Best for Flat Displays)
- Place individual flowers or petals between parchment paper inside a heavy book.
- Add weight and let sit for 1–2 weeks.
- Use for framed art, cards, or journals.
🎨 Step 4: Finishing Touches
- Optional: Lightly spray dried flowers with unscented hairspray to reduce breakage.
- Store away from moisture and direct sun to prevent fading and mold.
- Arrange in vases, shadow boxes, wreaths, or resin crafts.
