How to Dry Flowers
Dried flowers and herbs are so useful! You can make them into tinctures (more on that below), designs, paints, dyes, spices, bath salts, and more! Note: Learn how to make all these here.
Below are brief instructions on three methods: pressing, hanging, and microwaving.
Plus, how to make tinctures!
How to Press Plants in a Book
Harvest your flowers with or without stems and leaves.
Find a few thick books. Choose one, open to the middle.
To protect the pages, you can place smooth paper (like newsprint) on them.
Place a single layer of plants on the paper and close the book.
Pile the rest of the books on top.
Check back in two weeks. The flowers should feel papery. If they are still cool, leave them for as many weeks as it takes.
If filling multiple pages, be sure to leave 1/4” between each page of flowers.
Design with pressed flowers
I use my pressed flowers to create designs for my shop. Next month, I’ll post instructions on how you can create repeating pattern designs and have a shop of your own!
Hanging Flowers to Dry
Do this if you want to preserve your flowers and other plants to make three-dimensional creations like bath salts, tinctures, soaps, cooking spices, medicines (learn to do all this in my book.) Hanging them will preserve their texture and powerful plant oils.
Harvest your plants.
Tie them into bundles sized for a single project or bouquet.
Tie the bundles upside down.
They will dry in 2 -4 weeks, when they feel brittle and are no longer cool.
How to Press Flowers with a Microwave
This is the least ancient way to preserve plants, but it is the quickest. It may also result in more vibrant colors. CAUTION: Please BE CAREFUL not to set FIRES.
Select thinner plants. Place them between two smooth pieces of natural fabric (like muslin or a cotton or linen napkin). Paper towels will work in a pinch, but they may leave an imprint of their texture.
Place your cloths with the plants within them on a flat, microwave-safe surface (like a plate). Add another plate on top, making a plate-cloth-plant-colth-plate sandwich.
Microwave in 30-second bursts, pausing for ten seconds in between to check on your plants to make sure they aren’t burning. It should take about 2 minutes of microwaving to dry your plants. When finished, they should be warm and feel like paper.
BONUS: How to make tinctures.
I’m so excited to share this page from my new book, Plant Magic at Home
The book is available here, and wherever books are sold.
Happy Creating!
