Avoid using really thick flowers, like impatiens and begonias. They’re so thick that they generally start to get moldy before they actually dry out.
If you’re mainly interested in preserving the actual bloom, trim the stem down to 1 to 2 inches (2. 5 to 5. 1 cm).
If you aren’t sure which look you prefer, try drying one flower that has a few leaves left on the stem along with one flower that has been completely trimmed.
It’s okay if the actual cut doesn’t look perfect or if there are little bits of petals left on the backside of the flower. Those imperfections won’t be visible after the flower has been pressed.
This also comes in handy if you find flowers you want to press while you’re traveling. You can keep them in the fridge until you go back home. If you don’t have access to a fridge, keep them in a cooler or somewhere similar to try and preserve them until you can press them.
If you don’t have parchment paper, you could also use coffee filters to the same effect.
Make sure to choose a book that you won’t need to use over the next several weeks.
You could also use bricks instead of books for the same effect.
It takes less time to press flowers with heavy books than if you were to use a wooden flower press because there is considerably more weight being applied from the books.
If you visit your local home improvement store, you may be able to find scraps of wood for sale that can be used for your press. If you are cutting your own pieces of wood, you can make your press any shape or size that you want. Some people prefer round presses, while some want a smaller or bigger press, depending on how many flowers they need to dry at one time. A 9 by 12 in (23 by 30 cm) press can hold anywhere from 10-20 blooms, just depending on what kinds of flowers you are pressing.
The cardboard just helps provide another semi-absorbent layer for the flowers. Because this method takes about a month to complete, it’s important that all the moisture from the flowers has somewhere else to go so they dry completely.
Visit your local home improvement store or shop online for your c-clamps. You don’t need to get anything fancy, so you should be able to find these clamps for about $5 a piece. If you bought a wooden press rather than making one yourself, there should be bolts for you to utilize rather than having to use clamps.
If you have more flowers you want to press in the meantime, use a second press or one of the other pressing methods so you don’t disturb the ones that are in process. This is one of the more time-intensive methods because it doesn’t use much weight or heat to press the flowers. If you want to speed up the pressing time, add a few bricks or books on top of the wood.
You could do this 1 to 2 days in advance, or just 10 minutes before ironing. The more time the flower has to flatten, the easier it’ll be to iron. Use sheets of parchment paper between the book and flowers if you’re concerned about the book being exposed to moisture.
You may be tempted to use higher heat to make the process go even faster, but high heat could burn the flowers and turn them brown, making them lose their beautiful color.
Avoid moving the paper once it is in place so the flowers don’t shift at all.
If you leave the iron on the flowers for too long, they will burn, so make sure to count the time and remove the iron after 10 to 15 seconds at the most.
Don’t forget to unplug the iron when you’re done and refill the water tank so it’s ready to go the next time you need to use it on your clothes.
Don’t be afraid to mix-and-match colors and types of flowers.
For this project, you can use a glass frame that hangs or that can be propped up, just depending on where you’d like to put it once it’s done. You can buy glass frames online, from your local art supplies store, or from a lot of home goods stores, too.
If needed, use scissors to trim stems or cut a flower down to the right size. Some people like to add a piece of patterned scrapbook paper to the frame to act as a background for the flowers. You can do this if you want, or you can leave the glass frame as it is so it’s see-through.
If you’re having trouble ripping off small enough pieces of tape, use scissors to cut a longer piece of tape into small sections.
This is a great way to make a keepsake for yourself or someone else.
