It’s a tradition to celebrate special occasions — weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and graduations — with flowers. Unless you preserve the special bouquets you receive on special occasions, they won’t last forever. By drying or pressing flowers, you can make them last for years and fill your home with lovely keepsakes created from some of your happiest memories. At Boyd’s Flowers in Wilmington, we recommend drying flowers because the flower preservation technique equally well for all types of flowers. Pressing flowers can be used for creating displays in botanical frames, but it’s not a good option for bouquets of mixed florals, as some flowers with thicker blooms won’t press successfully.

Wildflowers and Whites

Three Easy Techniques for Drying Flowers

Whichever technique you choose to use, it’s essential that you allow the flowers to dry completely before displaying them because any remaining moisture will cause the flowers to rot.

1. Microwave

Microwaving flowers will dry them in a matter of minutes, but you can’t just stick flowers in the microwave and cook them. You’ll need a microwave-safe container and silica sand. Trim stems and foliage. Then arrange flowers in the container. Cover them completely with silica sand. Put them in the microwave with a cup of water and heat on 30-second intervals, checking the flowers between. Most will dry within two to three minutes.

Dried Pink Roses

2. Oven Dry

If you don’t have silica sand, you can also dry flowers in the oven. Set it to the lowest heat possible and arrange flowers so they don’t overlap on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. “Bake” them with the oven door cracked open so moisture can escape. They’ll need eight to twelve hours to dry completely, so you’ll want to do this on a cool day, when you’ll be around to check on them.

Bouquet of Dried Roses

3. Air Dry

Air drying is the slowest, but most recommended method for drying flowers. Arrange your bouquet and tie the bunch around their stems with a long piece of string. Use the other end of the string to hang them upside down from a clothing hanger, stick, or hook. Leave them for several days. It’s best to dry flowers away from the most humid locations inside your home, in a spot where they won’t receive direct sunlight, as this will fade their colors.

Hanging Dried Flowers

How to Display Dried Flowers in Your Home

You can display keepsake flowers in your home in a variety of ways. While it’s perfectly acceptable to set them out as a bouquet in a vase or pitcher, you can also get more creative. We especially love trimming dried flowers and attaching them to a wicker wreath base to create a beautiful wreath of good memories to display anywhere in your home. However you arrange your dried flowers, we recommend displaying them in a location where they won’t receive direct sunlight to prevent fading. You should also put them in a location that’s far away from the shower, so they won’t be affected by moisture in the air.

Bouquet of Dried Flowers in Glass Vase

For more information about preserving flowers or for personalized assistance selecting a bouquet for your next special occasion, we welcome you to stop by Boyd’s Flowers to speak with a florist.