how to press and dry flowers and make potpourri
Flowers are beautiful and we want to hold on to the fresh blooms for as long as possible. Though we all like displaying fresh flowers around our home and office, some people also like to preserve the flower as dry flowers so that they stay with them for a long time.
A good way of preserving flowers forever is to press them. The bouquet your husband gave you on your first anniversary, the flowers your friends sent when your child was born can be preserved to create memories for the family over time.
To get a detailed method on pressing flowers at home visit PreservedGardens.com.
It is important to use the flowers when they are moisture free and fresh to get the best pressed flowers. It is best to start the pressing process as soon as you pick the flowers from your yard or the day the blooms are delivered to you, this allows them to keep the colors bright. It is best not to petals overlapping, and the flowers should be laid completely flat.
Once you have chosen the flowers to press, it’s time to begin pressing. For this place the flower or flowers between two sheets of paper inside a heavy book and have at least half an inch of pages between the pressings, weigh the book down and wait for a few weeks.
Aninstant way to press flowers is to place the book with the flowers in the microwave and heat for short bursts of 30 seconds. It will take a few hours for the process to be completed.
When flowers like hydrangeas, roses, redebeckia and Queen Anne’s Lace are mixed together, a unique scent is created. Place the flowers in a tray covered with paper towels and keep it in a warm airy place and turn them over each day until they are dry. Flowers are dry when they feel slightly brittle. Over drying the buds may make them lose their fragrance.
When the flowers are dried perfectly, youmust start blending them in different oils to create a final potpourri product. You can choose oils that are floral, citrus, herbal or spicy. You can choose a dominant scent and an accent scent. Mix 4 drops of your dominant scent and one drop of your accent scent smell in with the flowers and shut them in an airtight Jar for 24 hours.
Open the jar and put the potpourri in containers to be used around the home.
