How to Dry Flowers

There are many methods to preserve the beauty of flowers.  We present these methods for informational purposes only.

Air Drying

Glycerin

Desiccants

Freeze Drying

Air Drying

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There are two methods of air drying, leaving the flowers standing in a vase, or hanging flowers upside down.  With vase drying, you simply leave the flowers in the vase while the water dries out.  Baby's breath, sea thistle, globe thistle, yarrow, strawflower, larkspur, grasses and beech leaves are all suitable for this drying method.  Aiir drying in the vase is not as effective as hanging bunches up to dry, but it can be used successfully for certain flowers.

Hanging flowers upside down requires a cool, dry, airy dark place in which to hang the bunches while they slowly dry.  In order to hang flowers to dry, you need to remove lower leaves from the flowers, and flowers need to be fresh and in good condition.  Tie together small bunches of flowers together and try to keep them from touching each other.  It takes about a month until flowers will be completely dry.

Glycerin

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A lot of foliages can be preserved using glycerin, as well as some flowers.  To preserve with glycerin, you place the flowers or foliage in a large container with a solution of 40% glycerin to 10% hot water, stems in the glycerin solution.  The stems soak up the solution and when beads of glycerin show on the flowers or leaves, it is preserved.  Good plants for glycerin include maple, Mexican orange blossom, beech, eucalyptus, Japanese Fatsia, ferns, salal, ivy, hydrangea, bells of Ireland, oak and cherry.

Desiccants

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Desiccants, or drying agents, can be used to dry flowers that are not too petaled or stemmed.  The best results are obtained with silica gel.  You can buy silica gel as very fine crystals at your local craft supply store.  You place a layer of silica gel in an airtight container, lay the flowers on the silica gel, and add more until the flowers are totally covered.  Cover for two days, then check the flowers to determine dryness.  Sometimes it is necessary to dry the bottom only of the flowers.  Do not over dry, as the flowers will crumble.  Good plants for desiccants include alstroemeria, lily-of-the-valley, lisianthis, freesia, gerbera, tulips, and zinnias.

Freeze Dry

Freeze drying flowers produces optimal results.  However, the equipment and chemicals necessary to freeze dry are very expensive.  There are not a lot of companies that offer floral freeze drying due to the cost and time involved.  Freeze drying is best reserved for very special occasion flowers, such as wedding bouquets and funeral flowers.