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Creating Dry Flower Arrangements

Roses and Drying

For best results, we recommend that you arrange the roses in a vase with water and floral preservative, as you would with a regular arrangement. Let the roses open up until they are approximately halfway open. if you do not let them open at all, you end up with very small buds (if this is what you are looking for, proceed with the following instructions).

After you have allowed the roses to partially open, remove them from the vase, tie a string around the bottom of the stems and hang the bunch upside down in a dry place. It will, depending on the humidity, take about two weeks for the roses to completely dehydrate. You will know when they are dry enough by gently squeezing the buds.

If they are still soft then they are not yet dry. When the buds are quite firm, you may untie them and arrange as desired. It is possible to spray the buds with a 'hardener' (available at many craft stores), or hairspray, after they have dried. Doing this will help preserve the flowers and prevent crumbling.

You can use the dried flowers to decorate mirrors, hats or baskets or you can just put the flower arrangements in vases. Another way to use dried flowers is to decorate packages and presents with them or as wall decorations.
Other drying methods
Air Drying
The steps for air drying most flowers are:
- Strip any dead leaves
- Group the stems into small bunches
- Tie stems with rubber bands or twist ties
- Hang upside down in a cool, dry and dark area such as an attic or a closet.
- Allow them to dry for two or three weeks depending on the thickness of the stems or foliage. The more fleshy the flowers are, the more time is required to dry
Press drying
Pressed flowers are especially suitable for flower pictures, as well as decoration on note paper, place cards and many other items.

Use flowers in prime condition. Also, use flowers with different stages of development up to full maturity for more variety in design. Avoid plants with fleshy stems and leaves as well as flowers with very thin petals. Don't try to press wilted materials. Flowers that are flat, such as pansies, press best.

The faster flowers dry, the better they retain color. On the other hand, flowers can't be exposed to excessively high temperatures. Although they may dry quickly, they will turn brown.

Pressing requires sandwiching flowers and foliage between layers of an absorbent material. This should be clean and hold the flowers firmly and flat during the drying process. Porous materials that allow some air movement are also beneficial.

Flowers are generally placed between a non-glossy type of paper. Newspapers, old telephone directories or catalogs are suitable. Absorbent facial tissues placed on the pages aid rapid moisture absorption. Tissues should be removed and flowers or foliage replaced between fresh, dry tissues and papers at the end of the first week. After the flowers and tissues have been placed in the folded newspapers or books, stack them several layers deep. Place boards beneath and on top of the stack. Put the stack in a warm, dry place with a heavy weight on top.
Silica gel drying
Flowers that wilt quickly must be dried in a supportive substance to preserve their natural color and shape.

Silica gel is the most satisfactory material for drying flowers at home. It can be purchased at garden centers, craft or hardware stores. Silica gel is not cheap but it can be used over and over again.
The steps for Silica gel drying are:
- Prepare a drying box by filling it half with Silica gel
- Place the flowers on the Silica gel
- Gently sift more Silica gel over the flowers until all the petals are covered
- Place the box in a warm and dry area
- Allow the flowers to dry in Silica gel for one to three weeks
Microwave Drying
Microwaves can also be used to dry flowers. It takes only a few minutes. Dried flowers that look fresher and more colorful than those obtained by other methods. Support material such as silica gel must surround and support the flowers during heating and drying. Use heat-tolerant glass or microwave containers. Do not cover the containers. Place a cup of water in the oven before starting to help prevent excessive drying.

The steps for microwave drying with a desiccant are:
- Prepare a microwave safe container with a 1" thick layer of silica gel
- Place the flowers on the silica gel
- Sprinkle carefully more silica gel on the flowers
- Microwave them on 50% power for 1-3 minutes
Drying times vary from about 3 minutes for very dense flowers with a lot of petals to about 1 minute for smaller or thinner-petaled flowers. Since ovens and flowers vary, experimentation will be required.
- The silica crystals turn from bright blue to pinkish gray as they absorb moisture
- To remove the moisture from the silica gel, after removing the dried flowers, microwave the crystals for two minutes on high power. You must be careful not to use the container, used with silica gel, for food.

After treatment is complete, leave flowers in the silica gel for 12 to 24 hours to make sure they are cooled and dried. Since microwave-dried flowers tend to absorb air moisture, spray the petals with hair spray or lacquer. For long term storage, keep them in an airtight container.

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