People often associate flowers with temporary or fleeting beauty, because they’re only in bloom for a short amount of time. Blooming flowers, however, don’t have to be temporary; you can make them last years by drying and preserving them. Since our flower experts at Kittelberger Florist in Webster absolutely love the idea of flowers forever, we put together this easy to follow how-to guide on drying and preserving your favorite bouquets of flowers.

Bouquet of Dried Roses

The Simplest Ways to Dry Flowers

Air Dry

The most common way to dry flowers is to let them air dry. For this method, you’ll need string and a place to hang your flowers where they won’t be in direct sunlight. First, trim the leaves from your flower stems. Arrange flowers, as you like, and tie their stems together with string. Use the other end of the string to hang your flowers, upside down, from a clothing hanger, beam, or hook.

Jeweled Tapestry

Whenever possible, we prefer air drying flowers because this method works for all types of flowers and mixed bouquets, and it produces the most life-like and vibrantly colored dry flowers. The only downside is that your flowers will need several days to dry completely.

Hanging Dried Flowers

Dry with Heat

If you don’t have several days to wait for your flowers to air dry, then we recommend adding gentle heat to the process for faster results. The fastest way to dry flowers is in the microwave. You’ll need a microwave-safe container and silica sand. First, trim leaves and unwanted stems from the blooms. Then arrange them in the container and cover them completely with silica sand. Put them in the microwave next to a cup of water and heat them in 30-second intervals. Check on flowers, as you go, but most should be dried in about two or three minutes.

If you can’t find silica sand or want to keep your flower stems long, we recommend drying them in the oven. Cover a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and preheat your oven to its lowest setting. Trim leaves and arrange flowers so they don’t overlap because this will cause them to stick together. While flowers dry for eight to twelve hours, leave the oven door cracked open so the moisture can evaporate.

Dried Pink Roses

Whichever way you choose to dry your flowers, it’s vital that all the moisture is removed. Any remaining moisture will cause your flowers to decompose. You can tell flowers are dry, when they begin to feel like tissue paper.

How to Care for Your Dried Flowers

Dried flowers are delicate and require some care and attention to ensure they stay beautiful for a long time. After you’ve first dried your flowers, we recommend spraying them with a few coats of hairspray. This will fortify their delicate structures and also create a protective barrier between the flowers and the elements.

Dried Flower Bouquet in Glass Vase

Your flowers will last longest, if you display them in a location away from the fading power of direct sunlight and the degrading power of humidity. If your flowers become dusty after a while, you can remove the dust by blowing them gently with a hairdryer on its coolest, lowest setting.

For more advice about drying flowers and the best bouquets for drying and preserving, we welcome you to stop by Kittelberger Florist!