ad collaborative post // There’s no denying that flowers with fresh and vibrant colours are gorgeously attractive, especially when arranged properly into a bouquet, coupled with beautiful accents. But beauty is not exclusive to freshly-picked flowers only. Even dried and dead flowers possess a unique charm that’s in a whole different category.
If you’re working on a project that requires flower arrangements and you want to do something new, opting for dried flowers could be a good idea. And if this is your first time hearing about dried flowers, don’t worry. We gotcha.
Below is everything that you need to know about dried flowers. These are from the master florists that we know from Hello Blooms. So sit tight, and learn from this mini-masterclass.
What are dried flowers, really?
Dried flowers are much like regular flower bouquets, but the big difference is that they are purposely and systematically dried to change their appearance and enhance the beauty of the petals.
Dried flowers can be used as bouquets, wreaths, hats, and other decorative pieces for journals, houses, and photoshoots. The best thing about dried flowers is that they last longer than regular ones.
What are the different techniques in drying flowers?
Pressing
This technique is the good old way of making dried flowers like pansies, daisies, violas, and petunias.
They are easy and fast to accomplish. All you need to do is put the flowers in between the sheets of either newspaper or blotting paper then put something heavy on top of the sheets.
Just let them dry for two to four weeks and you’re done!
Air Drying or Hanging
Another technique that’s easy to do at home!
The first thing to do is to remove the leaves of the flowers. Then tie them all together using a wire. Then hang the flowers upside down in your attic, closet, or pantry.
Depending on the flower, the duration of air-drying will vary. What you need to do is to check them once a week, until you’re satisfied with the result.
Dehydrator
Yes, it’s not only for drying food items. If you have one at home, you can use this machine to dry your flowers, too! Unlike with the first two techniques, using a dehydrator will allow you to retain the form of the flower and keep its colours, and sometimes, even its fragrance!
If you’re going to use a dehydrator, the trick is to not let any part of the flower overlap with the other flowers.
The temperature is variable depending on the thickness of the flower. If the flowers have thin petal or leaves, pre-heat the appliance to 100°F or 95°F. If you’re drying the thicker ones, take it up a notch to 110°F.
For a better fragrance, you can incorporate 100 drops of essential oils. Normally, the process lasts for up to 4 hours. But for a better result, check the dehydrator every one hour to see if you’re getting the desired result.
You will know that the technique works if the flowers feel dry and crips or are not flexible anymore. If you’ve accomplished this, the last thing to do is to store them in airtight containers and put these containers in a cool dry place.
These flowers are the best for drying If you’re looking to achieve the best dried floral collections for a business, below are only some of the flowers that look even more gorgeous when dried. Take note of these flowers and look for them immediately!
- Lavender
- Hydrangea
- ‘Cream Veranda’ Rose
- Artemisia schmidtiana
- Ageratum
- Larkspur or Guardian Lavender
- African Daisy
- Globe Amaranth
- Baby’s Breath
- Pansiolas
- Sundaze Blaze Strawflower
- Celosia or Dragon’s Breath
- Globe Thistle
okay i love this!! i’ve employed the pressing & hanging techniques before, but i’m always looking for different takes on those or entirely different methods for drying flowers x
We want to get some dried flowers for the house and love the look of baby’s breath! I didn’t know you could dry flowers with a normal food dehydrator! Not that I am going to attempt any of that, of course, but it’s a nice to know! x