You’ve received a beautiful bouquet and you want to make it last? Would you like to learn how to dry a bouquet of flowers to preserve it?
You’re in the right place.
As a florist specializing in wedding decorations, I often get asked by brides-to-be if they can keep their dried bouquet, and if so, how to go about it. It is definitely possible: you just need to take a few precautions which I will outline for you in the following paragraphs.
With this article, you’ll learn how to dry a bouquet so you can keep it for years as a reminder of a special gift or a beautiful day!
To dry a bouquet under the best conditions, don’t wait until the flowers are damaged before taking them out of the water. Hang it upside down in a dark, well-ventilated room, away from moisture. The drying process will take a few days to a few weeks. Once the flowers are completely dry, store your dried bouquet out of direct sunlight to preserve its beautiful colors. Finally, you can spray it with hair spray once a month to prevent it from deteriorating.
Curious to learn more details? Keep reading to find out:
- Diverse dried flower techniques, along with their advantages and disadvantages
- How to dry a bouquet or a single flower
- Pro tips to prevent mold and preserve the colors of your dried flowers
- A selection of flowers that dry well and last a long time
- More information about the everlasting rose, a fresh flower that never dries out or wilts
What Are the Different Methods for Drying Plants?
Before I explain exactly how to dry a bouquet of flowers, let’s go over the different drying techniques that exist for flowers and foliage. This way, you’ll be better able to identify the method that suits your needs and take inspiration for the drying process of your bouquet.
Air Drying
This is the simplest technique, which I will discuss in detail in the section dedicated to drying a bouquet. It involves letting nature take its course and allowing the plants to dry on their own, thanks to exposure to air.
This technique has the advantage of being very easy to implement, but it takes some time (a few days, or even a few weeks).
Oven Drying
If you want to speed up the drying process, you can place your flowers in the oven on a sheet of parchment paper (to prevent them from sticking to the tray). Then, set your oven to the lowest temperature (no more than 122°F), and let them dry for about three hours, checking the flowers’ condition regularly.
This technique is a bit more time-consuming, as it requires you to keep a close eye on the flowers while they’re in the oven. Additionally, it can make the petals a bit more fragile. It’s best reserved for emergency situations!
Press Drying
This method allows you to flatten plants. It’s recommended if you want to use them later for DIY projects such as:
- costume jewelry,
- bookmark,
- candle decoration,
- pressed flower book,
- keychain…
👉 The dried flowers can be cast in epoxy resin to create a variety of unique accessories. The resin will help preserve the dried flowers without damaging them, as they are quite delicate.
The Amazing Properties of Clay and Silica
You’re probably familiar with those small packets of desiccants found in various products we buy (like leather goods, boxes, and fabrics), which help prevent excess moisture from damaging the item before it’s used. These little packets are actually great moisture absorbers that can be used to aid in drying out plants. They typically contain clay or silica, both of which have excellent absorbing properties.
Don’t throw them away! Open them up and pour their contents into a sealed jar or airtight container. Once you have enough, you can dry your flowers (especially individual roses) by placing them directly into your container for a few days.
👉 If you choose the air-drying method, you can also keep your desiccant jar open right underneath the flowers you are hanging to dry. This will help prevent any potential mold caused by excess moisture!
The Technique for Drying a Fresh Flower Bouquet
Whether you want to dry your wedding bouquet, a rose given to you by someone special, or a beautiful bouquet you received as a gift for a special occasion, you can use the air-drying technique that I will explain in the following lines.
What are the best drying conditions?
Here are some precautions to take to ensure you achieve the best possible results:
➡️ You should take them out of the water while they are still slightly closed and the petals are still firmly attached to the center of the flower. The stems should not be brown.
✔️ Hang your bouquet upside down in a dark room, away from light and moisture.
Use Hairspray Regularly
Once your bouquet is slightly dry, you can start spraying it with some regular hair spray, which you can find at the supermarket.
This product is an excellent preservative that will help the volatile elements found in flowers and certain foliage to stabilize.
Next, consider spraying your bouquet with hairspray regularly, at least once a month.
👉 This technique also works great for Pampas grass, which is very popular and often used to create bohemian and rustic decor.
Choose Your Flowers for Optimal Drying!
Not all flowers dry the same way. Some varieties are particularly well-suited for this preservation method and can last a long time once dried. They also have the added benefit of retaining their colors better.
If you want to gift yourself a bouquet to dry, I recommend that you prioritize these types of flowers so you can enjoy them for as long as possible.
What Flowers Can Be Dried?
Here’s a small selection of flower varieties that are suitable for air drying:
- Sea Lavender
➡️ To grow in the garden, harvest from July to September
- Thistles
➡️ To be harvested in the summer, in the fields or along the roadside
- Baby’s Breath
- Blazing Star
- Billy Buttons
- Nigella sativa
➡️ To grow in the garden, blooms in the summer
- Everlastings
➡️ To be grown in the garden or as a flowering fallow, to be harvested in the summer
- Lavender
- Zinnias
- Pennycress or Lunaria
- Hydrangeas
➡️ Choose brightly colored flowers, as the lighter ones tend to turn brown. For this flower, you can also try the stabilization technique, explained in this article.
- Sea Lavender
Statice / Lavender / Baby’s Breath
How to Harvest Them?
If you’re picking flowers from your garden or gathering them from the fields, I recommend collecting them in the morning, after the dew has evaporated. This time of day is ideal because:
- The morning dew has had time to dry,
- The flowers haven’t yet suffered from the heat and sun exposure: they are fresh and in full bloom!
The Eternal Rose: The Perfect Solution to Keep Flowers Fresh for a Long Time Without Wilting!
To wrap up this article, I invite you to explore everlasting roses, flowers that share some similarities with dried flowers, yet are much more surprising.
Indeed, while you can keep preserved roses and dried flowers for years, the former will maintain their vibrant colors and fresh flower appearance throughout that time, as if they were just cut.
Additionally, preserved roses, also known as “stabilized” roses, require no maintenance!
Feel free to visit our website that specializes in floral items to explore and choose from our dozens of models, and find the one you like best!
Now you know how to dry a bouquet of flowers so you can enjoy it for much longer! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment: I would be happy to respond. 😊