This method works well for any flower that is partially dry and not prone to wilting. [2] X Trustworthy Source EDIS Electronic database of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’s peer-reviewed articles Go to source It also works particularly well for bouquets.
The bigger the flower’s head, the better it is to dry them individually. [4] X Trustworthy Source EDIS Electronic database of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’s peer-reviewed articles Go to source
Individual flowers be hung or laid on top of a drying rack or window-screen. [7] X Trustworthy Source EDIS Electronic database of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’s peer-reviewed articles Go to source In lieu of a hanger, you can also knot the string to form a loop to hang your flowers from a door or cabinet knob.
This method is better suited for drying flowers individually. It also preserves color and shape very well, so if you would like to keep your rose, tulip, or chrysanthemum looking more or less as is, this method is perfect.
The type of microwave and the type of flower will affect how long this will take. For each new type of flower you attempt to dry in the microwave, set aside one as a crash-test dummy to experiment with time and heat levels before nuking the rest. If you are nervous about over-drying your flower at first, set a small bowl or cup of water in the microwave while cooking the flower to slow down the rate of drying. [12] X Trustworthy Source EDIS Electronic database of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’s peer-reviewed articles Go to source
Sand/borax mixture: 1 part sand to 2 parts borax, with 1 tablespoon of salt added to every quart. Borax/cornmeal mixture: 1 part borax to 1 part cornmeal for fastest results, or 1 part borax to 3 parts cornmeal to reduce the risk of the borax burning your petals.
If you don’t feel any moisture, remove the flower by its stem and gently shake the remaining sand or borax from its petals, using your brush as needed if some crystals are too stubborn to shake loose. If the weight of the drying agent has crushed your petals, use steam to refresh and reshape them.
This method works best for delicate flowers that may lose their petals using other methods.
This step isn’t strictly necessary, but it will protect your book from moisture damage and staining, as well as reduce the risk of ink bleeding off the page and staining your flower.
