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Many of our DIY brides ask how to dry their wedding flowers once used for their wedding. For some flowers, the process is easy. For others, not so great. Here is a quick guide in drying certain popular flowers that have been most asked about.
During the Winter and Christmas season, wreaths are a popular item to use as decor in your home and in businesses. One particular wreath made out of boxwood is used commonly, though, its vase life is relatively short. To prolong the shelf life from your boxwood wreath, first, soak your wreath in a sink or tub full of water for several hours. Glycerin (one part glycerin to two parts water) should also be added along with green dye (add enough to your liking). Without the dye, the leaves will turn a golden yellow. Once soaked for a few hours, your wreath can be removed and air dried. Locating glycerin may be difficult. Try contacting a large pharmacy or arts and crafts store that contains floral supplies.
Lavender is another flower that is well known for drying out. To achieve long, straight stalks, you will want to dry your stems while hanging upside down. Hanging them from your rafters, ceiling lights or fans are ways to accomplish this. Once dried, lavender can be used in numerous ways. One favorite includes using them as bathroom decor while stored in a long, straw basket. Another favorite use is through potpourri. Simply trim and mix the lavender florets with other dried floral goods (flower petals, pine cones, etc) and use in a glass jar or other desired container.
Finally, there are those flowers and other floral goods that dry naturally without much interaction. This includes curly willow, tissue statice, and in some cases, hydrangeas. At first, you will want to be sure you remove these flowers from water to prevent the growth of mold and begin the drying process. While drying curly willow and statice is straight-forward, hydrangeas don’t always react as well. There are various guides online that can provide more information about this. Simply look up drying hydrangeas with the use of silica gel and borax.
Hopefully, these tips help you with your next diy drying flower project and prevent some of reluctance you may have with desiccating your cut flowers. For those wanting to make a hobby of this, you may want to invest some time in floral classes for the latest techniques. Just remember that with practice makes perfect so if at first you don’t succeed, try try again. Best of luck in your efforts!