Drying Flowers Dried Flowers voften sold to customers

Drying Flowers

Dried Flowers voften sold to customers desiring a permanent arrangement

Methods vseveral have been developed valmost any flower can be preserved vwide variety of materials available

Dried Flowers vfew florists elect to preserve their own materials vwidely available from commercial sources

Hanging Method vflowers should be picked for drying just before they reach their prime voverly mature flowers do not dry well

Hanging Method vstrip off all leaves and tie flowers in small bunches vsuspend flowers upside down in a warm dry place without light

Hanging Method vdarkness preserves the color vdrying time varies according to the type of flower and the conditions of the drying location

Hanging Method vmost flowers dry in one to three weeks vleave bunches hanging until they are needed for arrangements

Desiccant Drying vconsists of burying flowers in a substance that will extract moisture from the flowers by absorption

Desiccant Drying vmost flowers can be dried without a loss of color or shape when the petals are supported by the drying agent

Desiccant Drying vsupport medium should provide even drying throughout the flower and keep petals from curling

Desiccant Drying vall spaces between petals should be completely filled vremove stems from the flowers about one half inch below the calyx

Desiccant Drying vplace one to two inches of the drying agent in the bottom of a container vplace the flowers face up on the bed of desiccant

Desiccant Drying vcover the flowers completely with more of the desiccant

Desiccant Drying vgently support the petals while working the substance into and between the folds or the flowers

Desiccant Drying vseal container to prevent the drying agent from absorbing moisture from the air

Desiccant Drying vcardboard boxes work well vholes can be punched in the bottom to remove the desiccant without damaging the flowers

Desiccant Drying vlength of drying time varies from two to four weeks vwhen flowers have dried completely, gently remove them from the desiccant

Desiccant Drying vbrush remaining agent off of flowers.

Desiccant Drying vuse a small paintbrush vflowers dries with a desiccant are extremely fragile

Desiccant Drying vspray flowers with a dried flower preservative to protect and strengthen them

Desiccant Drying vattach floral wires to the flowers for stems voriginal stems may be dried and reattached with hot glue

Desiccant Drying vif wires are attached, use floral tape to secure the flower to the wire and to give the stem a more natural look.

Sand Borax vfine washed beach sand is best vsand should be sifted before use

Sand Borax vdamp sand can be oven dried in a shallow pan at 250 degrees for thirty minutes vmix two parts sand with one part borax

Sand Borax vborax can be purchased in the laundry section of any grocery store vdrying time is one to two weeks

Cornmeal & Borax vwhite cornmeal and borax mixture is light and works well with delicate flowers vmix ten parts white cornmeal with three parts borax

Cornmeal & Borax vsift to mix thoroughly vborax is used to protect the petals from mold and weevils during drying

Cornmeal & Borax vthis method takes three to seven days

Kitty Litter vis made of ground clay vcan be used over and over vsift of screen litter to discard larger pieces

Kitty Litter vselect a brand that has small particles vcoarse particles are not suitable for drying flowers

Silica Gel vindustrial compound that can be purchased for drying vmore expensive than other drying agents

Silica Gel vcan be reused almost indefinitely vbest drying agent for preserving flowers

Silica Gel v dries quickly and flowers retain more of their natural colors v may be purchased at a hobby or discount store that carries crafts

Silica Gel v. Tell-Tale, the most common brand name for drying flowers vhas blue crystals

Silica Gel vthe blue color is an indicator vwhen flowers are dry the color changes to pink

Silica Gel vafter drying, sift silica gel to remove flower debris vdry in an oven at 250 degrees for 30 minutes

Silica Gel vthe Tell-Tale crystals will return to their blue color when dry

Microwave drying vquick method vsuperior quality vcolors are brighter

Microwave vflowers are not as dry and perishable as conventionally dried flowers vtrim stems half to 3/4 inch in length

Microwave vspread silica gel one to two inches deep in small glass or paper bowl vprepare one container for each flower

Microwave varrange one flower blossom face up in each bowl of silica gel

Microwave v sprinkle additional silica gel between petals until the flowers are completely covered v use a toothpick or small brush to separate petals

Microwave vplace one or two flowers in the microwave oven at a time vplace a cup of water in the corner of the microwave to provide moisture

Microwave vthis will prevent the flower from completely drying up vmicrowave for one to four minutes according to the drying guide in the text

Microwave vafter drying, leave flowers in the silica gel for 1 to 24 hours vremove flowers carefully from the bowl

Microwave vshake gently to remove silica gel vuse a small paintbrush to remove any remaining gel

Microwave vspray with preservative spray and attach a 16 or 18 gauge wire to the stem with floral tape

Glycerin vcolorless liquid made from fats and oils which can be used to preserve foliage

Glycerin vpreserves foliage in a pliable, more natural state vfrequently used for eucalyptus, magnolia and maple leaves

Glycerin v also used for drying baby’s breath v can be purchased at any drug store v mix one part glycerin with two parts water

Glycerin vpour mixture into a container at the depth of 4 to 5 inches vstems of fresh foliage should be given a fresh slanting cut at the base

Glycerin vplace stems of foliages in the glycerin solution for four days to two weeks vreplenish solution as needed during preservation process

Glycerin vfoliage will darken to an olive or bronze color as the leaves absorb the solution

Glycerin v to prevent darkening of leaves, add absorption dye to the solution v dye will be absorbed into the stem and deposited in the foliage

Glycerin v when the process is complete, hang foliages upside down to dry v individual leaves are best preserved by submerging them in the solution

Glycerin vplace weights on the leaves to keep them below the surface vivy leaves and stems may be preserved by this method

Glycerin vleave ivy submerged for four days vrinse glycerin off with cool water when foliage is removed from the solution

Bleaching &Drying vitems to be bleached must first be dried vplace dried plant material in a solution of one cup bleach and two gallons water

Bleaching &Drying vuse plastic, glass or enamel containers vdo not use metal

Bleaching &Drying vweight materials down so that it will be submerged at all times vleave material in solution for 5 -6 days, longer if necessary

Bleaching &Drying vremove after bleaching has occurred and rinse thoroughly vleave material in a water bath for a day or two

Bleaching &Drying vhang outside to dry and whiten vto dye bleached materials, dip for 5 minutes ina boiling Rit solution

Bleaching &Drying vmix dye according to package directions