When you have a wedding, anniversary, or graduation bouquet, you don’t have to throw it away once the flowers are spent. If you act, while the blooms are fresh, you can actually preserve the arrangement to enjoy and remind you of your happy memories for years to come. There are two ways to preserve flowers: pressing and drying. At Bice’s Florist in Fort Worth, our flower experts usually recommend drying flowers because it works well for just about every type of flower, including bouquets with thick blooms like roses and tulips. Drying preserves not only a flower’s color, but also its shape. As a result, you can display them in bouquets or use them to make a floral wreath.

Sunset Dreams

Popular Techniques for Drying Flowers

1. Hang

The traditional and most effective way to dry flowers is to hang them upside down in a dry location that doesn’t get direct sunlight (to preserve their vibrant colors). This method will result in the most natural, upright-looking dried flowers you can get. When your flowers are still relatively fresh, tie their stems with a string and hang from a stick, clothing hanger, or a beam on your ceiling. Leave them for several days, until completely dry.

Hanging Dried Flowers

2. Bake

To speed up the process, you can heat. Preheat your oven to its lowest setting and arrange your flowers on a parchment-lined cookie sheet so that they’re not touching. Pop them in the oven, and leave the door cracked to let the moisture escape. We recommend doing this on a cool day because your flowers will need between eight and twelve hours to dry completely.

3. Microwave

With a microwave-safe container and silica sand, you can dry flowers in a matter of minutes, using your microwave. Remove unwanted leaves and stems before arranging flowers in the container. Cover them completely with the silica sand. Put a cup of water in the microwave with your flowers. Microwave for 30-second intervals, until completely dry, usually two to three minutes.

Dried Pink Roses

4. Dehydrate

If you have a dehydrator for produce, you can dry flowers in it, too. Arrange them so there’s no overlap and set the dehydrator to 100-degrees. They’ll need several hours to dry completely.

5. Leave Them in the Trunk

Although this method seems a little strange, it really works! On a sunny day when you won’t be driving anywhere, you can either wrap your flowers bouquet-style or spread them out on a sheet of parchment in the trunk of your car. The sun’s heat will dry the flowers and the car will protect them from getting bleached out. If you put them in the trunk in the morning, they should be ready to go by sunset.

Bouquet of Dried Roses

Flower Drying Tips and Tricks

The secret to successfully drying flowers is to make sure all the moisture is removed. Any remaining water will cause the flowers to decompose. When flowers are completely dry, they’ll feel a little like tissue paper. To help your dried flowers last even longer, you can strengthen them and protect them from the elements by giving them two or three coats of hairspray. Be sure to spray from a safe distance, so the blast from the spray can doesn’t hurt the delicate blooms.

Bouquet of Dried Flowers in Glass Vase

For more information about the best flowers to dry or help selecting a beautiful bouquet to commemorate a special event, we welcome you to stop by Bice’s Florist any time.