We have many moments that we want to remember forever in our life. They might represent a big event or change in our existence. Naturally, most of us want to keep souvenirs of events with sentimental value with reminders such as flowers. Whether it is a gift from a colleague, a friend, or given by your sweetheart, bouquets bring the joy that we would like to make last.
In order to go back and live those moments again, art has the solution to your struggles. To make your flower immortals, you can either draw them or dry and press them. It is not difficult to press your favorite plants and when properly flattened, they can be used to decorate postcards, birthday cards, pictures, bookmarks, or anything else that can be enhanced with a flower or leaf. Getting rid of the water in the plant is the most important step. Pressed flowers can decorate beautiful gift packaging and be suitable for several other decorative projects.
In this article, we are going to develop the following points:
* How to prepare flowers for pressing?
* What steps you should follow to press flowers?
* Pieces of advice to perfectly press flowers
* A few mistakes to avoid while pressing flowers
How to Prepare Flowers for Pressing?
Once you have chosen the flowers you want to dry, you need to prepare them. If you cannot take care of them right away, put them in a zippered freezer bag and keep them in the refrigerator.
When you are ready, there are rules to follow so that the flowers retain their colors and freshness. You must allow flowers to absorb all the necessary water. Afterward, you remove any leaves that may be in the water once in the vase because they could rot and create bacteria that would shorten the life of your flowers.
For the hydration step, you should place the flowers in a clean vase with water and a special preservative, then store them in a cool, ventilated room, away from direct sunlight. A few hours are enough to hydrate the flowers. It should be noted that thick flowers, like orchids or roses, should be cut in the middle with a knife or scissors.
What Steps You Should Follow to Press Flowers?
First, pick the plants when they are dry. Usually, you only choose the flower, not the stem, but you can also pick a few leaves. Then, you flatten the flowers with your finger and remove the petals from the heart. In addition, you may flatten a few leaves to simplify the identification of the flower.
Afterward, prepare a large book or flower presser to place your plant. Open it, put a tissue or piece of newspaper in it, and fold it in half. This piece of paper allows you to transfer your plants more easily and prevent them from leaving stains. The next step is placing the petals and leaves in the folded newspaper and closing the presser. You can add weight on it to help flatten it well and leave it like this for a week or more. This way, you can obtain pressed flowers.
Pieces of Advice to Perfectly Press Flowers
When you press flowers, you need them to last longer so it must be done perfectly. Therefore, here are bits of advice to achieve your goal. You should avoid white flowers, however, pansies and violets are particularly easy to flatten.
If you choose a pansy and place it on paper or plastic, it shrinks. However, it keeps its color and allows you to vary the sizes. Violets give very small dried flowers, which are particularly suitable for small photos.
For a beginner in this art, do not pick too many flowers at once, as they take time to dry. Moreover, you should make a note with the name of the flower, as well as where and when you picked it so you later remember the story that each flower tells you. Some leaves may lose their color unless you treat them with silica gel.
A Few Mistakes to Avoid While Pressing Flowers
You should be aware of the leaves and flowers you do not know. Wildflowers are very beautiful, but many species are harmful or live in fragile ecosystems. Some can sting, and others are poisonous. Also, avoid picking plants in a regional park or nature reserve, or even in the parks of your city because it is illegal, and it may result in a fine.
If you use a book, make sure it is yours and you are done with it because it can be damaged. Many people can take some beautiful flowers from horticulturalists, so remember to ask for permission first. In addition, you could do a nice gesture by sending them a card or a decorated bookmark with your pressed flower as a thank you and appreciating from you. Finally, you should not go too fast because this process acquires patience. You could get a result quickly but not necessarily well done.
Pressing flowers not only allows them to retain their color but also saves them much longer as a short cut to a nice and warm memory of a nostalgic event. To achieve this, you can take a heavy book that you no longer use if you do not have a flower presser. It is also possible to use or make a wooden flower press.
After preparing them and following all the steps above you, remove them after three weeks. To successfully make your pressed flowers, the process of choosing flowers is the big secret. If you pick them in the garden, do so in the morning, just after the dew has evaporated. We advise you to avoid white flowers and be very careful around wild ones because they can be very harmful, especially if you are a beginner.