How topress flowers

Fall in love with all things floral by decorating your home in handmade pressed flower crafts. There’s nothing quite like heading out into the garden and picking something you’ve grown, so why not take it one step further and turn it into something you can treasure for a long time to come? Our guide to pressing flowers tells you everything you need to know about drying out your beautiful buds, as well as giving you some pressed flower craft ideas to get you started.

Fun fact: flower pressing has been a very popular pastime since the Victorian era!

Things to know before you start

Flower pressing is a pretty easy hobby to get into - you don’t need to have green fingers to get started! There are a few things you should know before you get started though:

• Thin, flat-faced flowers are the best choice as they are much quicker to dry out than others.
• The most popular choices include daisies, single-petal roses and pansies.
• Choose flowers that have recently bloomed and are still fresh over those that are beginning to wilt.
• Make sure to cut the stems at an angle when trimming your flowers.
• Keep your flowers fresh before pressing by putting them in the ziplock bag and putting them in the fridge.
• Make sure to give them a wash before you press them - you don’t want dirt getting all over your crafts!
• Split thick flowers in half to ensure they dry out properly.
• Remove all of the lower leaves before pressing.

How to press flowers

There are a few different ways of pressing flowers, all of which make for an incredibly fun task. Plus, it results in a completely unique piece of artwork. Here are a few easy ways you can press flowers at home ready to craft with.

Step one

Start by popping the fresh flowers between two pieces of paper, ensuring to space them out to prevent the moisture from transferring and slowing down the process.

Step two

Place them in the middle of a heavy book, such as a dictionary or thesaurus and close it.

Step three

Use something heavy to put more weight on top, such as another book or an iron. Be careful so as to not move the flowers around and disturb their shape.

Step four

Change the paper sheets covering the flowers every few days to blot out as much moisture as possible. They should be completely dry after two to three weeks.

Step five

Remove the flowers delicately with your fingers or a pair of tweezers - you don’t want to ruin them after waiting so long, after all.

Step one

If you’re using a ceramic tile press, line each side of them with cardboard before laying paper on top.

Step two

Sandwich the flowers between the tiles, cardboard and paper - in that order - before securing them together with a rubber band around the tiles.

Step three

Place the homemade flower press into the microwave and heat on a low temperature for 30 to 60 seconds. If the heat is on too high, the flowers will lose their beautiful vibrance and turn brown.

Step four

Take out and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before checking the progress, repeating the above step until you get the desired effect. If you have more tiles or metal free books available, you can put more flowers in the microwave while these ones cool.

Step five

When the flowers have been dried out, finish them off using either method one or method three in this guide. Instead of waiting weeks, the microwave will have sped up the process so you only have to wait two days.

Step one

Sandwich the flowers between two pieces of paper carefully, ensuring to leave enough space between each.

Step two

Place into the press and tighten it so that the flowers are secure.

Step three

Change the blotting paper every two days, checking the progress of the flowers as you go.

Step four

Once the flowers are ready, which should be around the two to three week mark, remove very carefully. Flowers are even more delicate once they’ve been dried out, so try using tweezers if you have clumsy fingers!

Pop them in a frame to create unique rustic artwork. They add colour to every spot in the home, as well as making for a beautiful gift.

Make a cute phone case with ease by placing the flowers in the back of a clear premade case. You could also seal them into place using epoxy resin and craft glue.

Create candles that smell as pretty as they look with wax, a glass jar, your favourite essential oils and pressed flowers.

Make decorative floral dishes that look beautiful in the kitchen by pressing these dried flowers into polymer clay.

Decorate your scrapbooks, photo albums and journals by sealing your flowers onto each page with resin.

Get the kids involved and make a cute suncatcher, pressing the flowers between two sheets of circular sticky surface paper.

Create jewellery using moulds, epoxy resin and a chain. They’re super easy to make using pre-made moulds and it means nobody else will have the same piece as you!

So, what craft will you try first? Enjoy stepping into the world of flower pressing and let your imagination go wild. Whether you’re getting the little ones involved or creating beautiful floral pieces solo, we hope you find our guide on how to press flowers helpful.