Family Encyclopedia >> Home & Garden

Tips for making dried flowers yourself

The most useful tips for making dried flowers yourself. This article explains exactly how best to make dried flowers. Moreover, after reading you will know exactly which plants/flowers are most suitable for making dried flowers. With autumn just around the corner, nature will gradually prepare for the coming cold months. If you still want to (after) enjoy beautiful flowers, you can make dried flowers yourself.

Making dried flowers:which flowers are suitable?

In principle, all flowers are suitable for drying, although not all flowers will last the same long. Depending on the drying method and the way in which the dried flowers are used, you can use all flowers that occur in the garden or in nature. A number of flowers/plants that are popular as dried flowers:

  • Maize
  • Roses
  • Lavender
  • Bamboo
  • Hydrangea
  • Artichoke flowers

Tips for making dried flowers yourself

There are a number of ways to dry flowers. Various methods are listed below. Which method you use mainly depends on what you find easiest.

  1. Make dried flowers yourself:air dry

This is the easiest way and in this way you can, for example, dry entire bouquets. You bind the flowers/plants that you want to dry together to form a bouquet. Then hang this bouquet upside down in a cool, dry and preferably dark room. Depending on the flowers used, it takes between 2-4 weeks for the flowers to dry.

Keep in mind that rainy weather is bad. High humidity is disastrous and does not allow the flowers to dry out, but to mold. This method is often used to let the bridal bouquet dry.

2. Make dried flowers yourself:drying in the oven

Another method by which flowers dry quickly is drying in the oven. The oven must be set to setting 2-3 (so not too hot). In addition, the flowers must be placed in a well-closed box. The box containing the flowers is then placed on a sand bed. The best way to do this is to fill a roasting pan with clean (bird) sand. The entire drying process takes several hours.

3. Make dried flowers yourself:pressing flowers

Also a very popular method for obtaining (flat) dried flowers. However, not all flowers are suitable for this. Only flowers with a thin stem can be dried in this way. A thick stem cannot be pressed. Place the flowers between the sheets of a telephone book (or other heavy and thick book). Close the whole thing and put another heavy phone book or something else on it. After a few weeks, the flowers are dried, flat and ready for further processing.

If you want to do it differently:you can also place the flowers between two sheets of wood that are screwed together with thumbscrews. The flowers dry in the same way as if they had been dried between paper.

4. Make dried flowers yourself:use silicone gel

If you buy new shoes or a bag, you basically know what silicone gel is. They are those little white bags with round balls in them. You can also use this gel for making dried flowers yourself. Put the flowers in a wooden box, add some sachets of silicone gel and the flowers will have dried within a few weeks.

5. Make dried flowers yourself with chincilla sand

Another option for drying flowers is to use chincilla sand. This is special sand that the chinchillas use to take a sand bath. You need a sealable container to dry flowers. Put in an amount of sand that is enough to cover your flowers. Put the flowers in the sand and then seal them airtight. After 2 weeks your flowers will be completely dry and you can process them further.

Keep dried flowers beautiful

To enjoy dried flowers for a long time, you can finely spray the flowers with hairspray after drying. This ensures that the dried flowers are protected from light. Although, in principle, dried flowers should not be exposed to too much light. Dusting a complete bouquet is made easier if you first apply a layer of hairspray.

Dried flowers that have not been pressed must be carefully dusted once in a while. Naturally, this dusting must be done dry.

Dried flowers:what can you do with them?

Dried flowers can be used for various purposes. Some applications are:

  • Incorporate into a beautiful wreath
  • As decoration in the room (especially in autumn/winter this provides extra atmosphere)
  • You can use (pressed) dried flowers while crafting (making cards)
  • Dried flowers can be used in potpourri
  • Make it a beautiful eye-catcher on the wall
  • Dried flowers are perfect for making a wreath

Have you ever made dried flowers yourself? Do you have any nice tips for making dried flowers yourself? Let me know in the comments.