Sunday, August 29, 2010

THE BEAUTIFUL THING DRY FLOWERS


 HOW TO DRY 


FLOWERS:



Love your flower bouquet so much you don't want to have to let it go? Consider preserving it with our easy-to-follow guide. Let us show you how to dry flowers in a matter of a few simple steps, so that you can keep your special memories close for years to come. Whether you choose to hang the flowers on their own or add them to another crafts-related project, you'll love the delicate beauty of your dried flower bouquet. Interested in an added twist? We'll show you how to dry flowers in the microwave!

Before you get started, you'll need to assess whether your flower bouquet will dry well. Blooms should not be fully mature or they will lose their petals in the flower drying process. Also, consider the type of flowers you are using. Air drying will work for more robust varieties such as roses or small, long-lasting varieties like lavender. For more delicate flowers like lilies, try another preservation technique, such as pressing. Gerbera daisies, chrysanthemums, roses, and tulips are great candidates for the microwave flower drying technique, a process that will preserve their color and structure better than air drying does.

How to Air Dry Flowers FOR using everyday household items

1. Strip excess foliage from your flowers and cut the stems to your desired length (but not shorter than six inches). To help your flowers maintain their color during the drying process, it is important that you remove them from sunlight as soon as they're cut. Rubber band bunches of stems together if you would like to hang a bouquet, or leave the stems be if you'd like to hang the flowers individually.
2. Find a dark, dry area with good circulation. An unused closet will work perfectly. With unflavored dental floss, secure the bottom end of the flower’s stem to a hanger. You may hang two flowers/bunches on each hanger by hanging items from each side, or you can hang one flower/bunch by hanging it from the middle. Once secure, hang flowers upside down to dry. Leave your flowers there for a good two to three weeks and make sure not to remove them until they are completely dry.
3. Remove the flowers from the hangers and spray them with hairspray to give them some extra protection. You can now hang your dried flowers around the house as you please, remove the petals and make potpourri, or use them in a crafts-related project to make a thoughtful gift for someone else. Dried flowers don't like sunlight or extreme heat, so try to find homes for them in more shaded areas.

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