Flowers dried from special social occasion can evoke powerful memories and , when pressed into a scrapbook , they emit a aroma when you change state the page .
Luckily , you have several options forpreserving flower . The unproblematic is to hang them upside - down and air - dry them , but you’re able to also use desiccants or glycerol . Certain types of bloom impart themselves to certain drying method as well .
Prep for Preserving Flowers
Before tackling any of these methods , make trusted you have picked the flowers at the right prison term and that they are quick to dry . Here are the basics :
Air-Drying Flowers
Air - drying is the simplest method . After harvesting and removing leaf , tie your heyday into a small bundle — use fewer flower in a sheaf if the blooms are heavy and more if they are small . You want to ensure that air can circularize around each stem and flower , so do n’t pack them together too tightly .
Hang the bundles from a clothesline or dowel in a way with low humidness , which is likely not your garage unless you live in a fond or very juiceless clime .
The time to fill in drying will dissent , largely depending on the bloom and which part you are dry . Baby ’s breath , for instance , has lilliputian flower and will dry more quickly , while hydrangea will take longer .
Using Desiccants to Dry Flowers
Some flowers dry out easily if you apply a drying textile rather than just aviation - drying them . These let in those that are potential to wilt before they are to the full dry , such as roses , begonia , geraniums or fag , for case .
Many materials can be used as a desiccant , including silica gel , sand , sawdust , cornflour , borax , perlite or some combination . Professional florists prefer commercially prepared mixtures , but these are expensive . Here are a few ways to make your own :
Borax Blends
Silica Gel
Purchase silica gel from a hobby or craft shop . Although silica can be expensive , it can be recycle , and it is also a easy way to dry fragile flowers . Immerse the flowers in a container fill with silica for two to seven days . Silica will become a pinkish - gray when it has absorb the wet .
Dry them for future use in a shallow genus Pan in the oven set at 250 ° F for several hours , or use a microwave for a few minutes . When they are their original blue colour , they are quick to use .
Using Glycerin for Some Flowers and Foliage
Glycerin is particularly effective for preserving foliage , because it replaces the moisture in the leaf to preserve it , not only its color , but also sometimes its grain .
blend glycerol with water at a specific proportion , which depends on the character of leafage :
When harvesting plant for glycerin treatment , avoid watering them just before harvesting , as wry stem and leaf will uptake more glycerin . For theme , cut them 4 to 6 inches longer than you need ; then light mash the excess root word parts with a hammer , so the jail cell wall are broken and will absorb more glycerin .
Heat body of water to 150 to 180 ° F , tally the glycerin in the ratio you have selected and arouse until cooled . Submerse the stems , leaving them in the solution for two to six weeks . keep the level of the root by bestow water . The leaf should twist a greenish - John Brown . hit from the answer and hang upside - down for a few days .
