I grow a lot of flowers every year; you might even say I get a bit carried away.   I cut fresh flowers daily in the summer and fill every nook and corner with beautiful blooms.  To save some of that summer beauty, I dry some along the way, and over the years I’ve learned how to dry flowers in countless ways.

If you want to know what method was used to dry the daisies in the image above, just jump down to the silica sand method.  It created paperlike perfect dried flowers that kept the vibrancy of the flowers we tested.

Drying and Preserving Flowers – The Best (and not so best) Methods

I spend a great deal of time in late winter and early spring getting my flowers started.  I grow begonias, dahlias, zinnias, mallow, geraniums, petunias (masses and masses of them) and I get to enjoy them for maybe 12 weeks out of the year.

So it’s nice to save a few, preserve them and keep a bit of that summer colour living through the fall and winter.

Dried flowers are also great craft items and buying them already dried is a bit too rich for my pocketbook, so I make my own.

Learning how to dry flowers isn’t hard at all, and I bet by the end of this post you’re going to want to start hoarding your blooms from your summer garden so you can make your own.

How to dry flowers with a press

Materials Required :

• Old Books or flower press
• Old belts
• Flat, thin-leafed flowers
• Water Colour Paper – Non-Bleached
• Flower press (optional)

What type of flowers:

Flowers that lay flat hold their color, and have thin petals are the best for pressing.

Gladiolus, Borage, Cosmos, Larkspur, Coreopsis, Queen Anne’s Lace, Delphiniums, California poppies, Hibiscus, Geraniums (the individual flowers that make up the fluffy head), Verbenas, Nicotiana, and Pansies.  Think single-ply leaves and flattened head.

You can test and flowers for pressing.  Larger flowers like roses and dahlias will press, but they will become misshapen.

when is the best time to harvest for drying

Pick your flowers for pressing after the early morning dew has dried from the petals.  You want your flowers fresh, but completely dry.  Don’t pick your flowers on a humid or rainy day.

Book Method for drying flowers

Pressing flowers in old books is still a useful method for preserving flowers.   It seems old-fashioned, but that’s part of the charm.  I can remember my grandmother tucking flowers into books that we often found years later.

It is best to use a large book, like a phone book (if you can find one) and either tie a strap or belt around it while pressing your flowers or add something substantial to the top to add pressure.  You could also use old belts or straps to wrap around your book to tighten down the pages.

Print can sometimes rub off, or transfer, so it is a good idea to place your flowers between sheets of nonbleached paper before putting them inside of the book.  Do this only if you want perfect natural dried flowers.

Another useful method uses a bleach-free hardbound watercolor notebook.   You will still need to add pressure to the top, but this is a pretty easy method that does not require adding additional pages.

Drying flowers this way takes about 30 days.   If you open your book before the 30 days to peek, you risk cracking or breaking leaves.  But after 30 days you will find your flowers beautifully pressed, and ready to use.

Press Method

You can buy or DIY a simple flower press using two pieces of wood with bolts in each corner. Stack the inside with pieces of cardboard, and double sheets of nonbleached paper.

I don’t like to use newspaper in my flower presses because it can sometimes leave dye behind.  To avoid transfers of print, use plain, unbleached, unprinted paper between your cardboard sheets.

You will want to give a tiny bit of space between each flower, don’t overlap, but they can be placed relatively close together.

How to dry flowers with a press is simple but takes a bit of trial and error.

Pros for drying flowers with a press

• Relatively cheap method.
• Does not require special ingredients.
• Easy to do, without any complicated instructions.
• Creates beautiful flat flowers.
• Pressed flowers make excellent craft project additions.

Cons for drying flowers with a press

• Takes up to 30 days for perfect pressed flowers.
• Flowers do not always retain their full vibrancy.
• Flowers are delicate and can easily break.

How to dry flowers – Air Dry Method   

What type of flowers

When air drying flowers you want to avoid flowers with lots of water content.  They tend to not dry thoroughly and rot long before they ever dry out.

Flowers like African Marigolds, Cornflowers, Anise hyssop, Globe Thistle, Lady’s Mantle, Hydrangeas, Larkspur, Lavender, Love in a mist, Dahlias (pompom), Poppy (Papaver types), Roses, Starflowers, Strawflowers, and Yarrow are good flowers to start with.

when is the best time to harvest for drying

In the morning, after the dew has dried and the flowers are their freshest.  Pick blooms that are not fully open yet as they will open more as they dry out.

How to air dry flowers

1. Start by gathering your flowers in bunches by the stem and secure them with a piece of string or rubber band.  Hang them upside down in an area that receives good air flow.  Make sure that your bunches are not too close together.
2. Hang the flowers in a cool dark place to dry out.   Try to keep them out of the sunlight to retain some of their vivid colours.
3. Leave flowers for a few weeks to dry.  You will notice the flowers will start to change colors. Bright, vibrant flowers change colour to browns, light pinks, dull yellows and transform into vintage bouquets.  When the stems can snap easily, they are finished drying.
4. Use dried flowers in vases, or crafts like homemade wreaths, or even create centerpieces for the holidays.

Pros to air drying flowers

• Minimum supplies required.
• Easy for anyone to do.
• Least expensive method.

Cons to air drying flowers

• Very brittle petals.
• Flowers lose much of their color and vibrancy.
• Flowers shrink and crinkle.
• This method is hit or miss, and you can lose flowers in the process.  It is recommended to dry more than you think you will need because you will inevitably lose a few flowers along the way.

How to dry flowers with Silica Gel

Materials Needed

• • Silica gel
  • Dust mask
  • Gloves
  • Airtight glass or plastic container
  • Flowers
  • Scissors or garden pruners
  • Plastic squeeze bottles
  • Mod Podge or hairspray to seal flower from moisture

• Optional: Microwave

**You can pick up silica sand / silica gel at most craft stores. 

What type of flowers

Any!  If they can fit in a container and if you have enough silica gel you should have no problem drying the largest of flowers.   Think roses, pansies, peonies, daisies, larkspur, carnations, bachelor buttons, zinnias, sunflowers, geraniums ( worked but I did get a few batches of petals!), to name a few.

As the summer progresses, I plan on testing my silica gel on a lot more blooms to see what works best.

when is the best time to harvest flowers for drying

Like other flowers, it is best to collect your flowers in the morning after the dew has dried and the flowers are freshest.   You will want fully opened blooms if you use the microwave method.

If you use the silica gel to dry your flowers without the microwave, pick flowers that are in full bloom.

Silica Gel method for drying flowers

I always wanted to know how to dry flowers with silica gel, so I went out and bought some to test.  I tested, and tested some more, and tested so much that I ended up drying more flowers than I could ever use!  It is by far the best method I’ve ever used.  I love the results that it created.

The flowers look like very realistic paper flowers, they even feel like paper.  

Do not forget to put on your air filter mask and gloves before working with your silica gel. 

1. Cut your flower stems about an inch away from your flower head.
2. Place your large flower heads face up in a container at least 2 inches taller than the flower. Flat faced flowers do better if you place them upside down. Flowers that are long, like larkspur, can be laid down on their sides.
3. Gently pour silica gel over the flowers until covered by an inch or more of silica gel. Place a lid on top, or saran wrap and set them aside for 3-5 days.
4. You need to be very gentle in removing your flowers, or you will end up with dried flower petals.  
5. You can use a soft bristle paint brush to remove the remaining silica gel; it just dusts off.

Pros of drying flowers with silica gel

• Creates beautifully vibrant dried flowers.
• Retains the same look like a freshly picked flower.
• The fastest method by far, one minute in the microwave and your flowers are dry.
• You can recharge silica gel by placing it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Cons of drying flowers with silica gel

• Silica gel is one of the most expensive methods to start out with, but since the gel can be recharged the costs diminish over time.
• Don’t spill your silica gel because it is a pain to clean up! (ask me how I know)
• You also need to use a filter mask and gloves while working with Silica gel.
• You can make dried flower petals, but I wouldn’t use them in any beauty products, like bath salts.  Silica should be handled with gloves, and you have no sure way of knowing if you pulled all the silica from a dried flower.

Drying flowers in a food dehydrator

Food dehydrators work well for drying flowers.   I did not find it as impressive as the silica gel, but it did work.

I would not dry flowers on trays that I would later use for food.  Some of the flowers I dehydrated did leave behind a scent.  I am sure that will dissipate, but after a single wash, that scent still lingered on my trays.

Not sure how much the husband is going to enjoy jerky with a hint of marigold.

Materials Needed

• Food dehydrator  (this is the one I use and it works great)
• Flowers
• Scissors or garden pruners
• Mod Podge or hairspray to seal flower from moisture

What type of flowers

You can dehydrate any small or medium-sized flower that will fit in your dehydrator.  Small pom type flowers like zinnias, or marigolds do very well.

Larger flowers with delicate leaves like geraniums or tuberous begonias tend to take longer and end up a bit too brittle.

when is the best time to harvest for drying

Harvest your flowers at their full bloom early morning after the dew has dried.

Dehydrator Method

1. Cut your flower stems close to the flowers.  Place your flowers right side up but do not allow them to touch each other because they will stick.
2. For medium-sized flowers like pompom zinnias, or any cone style flowers, leave them for a few hours.
3. For small delicate flowers, like Queen Anne’s lace, add for 1 hour but check on them periodically.

Sealing

You can seal your flowers with mod podge, hairspray, or a rattle can of spray sealer.

Pros for drying flowers with a food dehydrator

• A relatively quick method, flowers can be dried in a few hours.
• Easy process, no real fuss.
• Perfect drying method if you want to make potpourri, or make dried petals.

Cons for drying flowers with a food dehydrator

• You need a food dehydrator.
• Some flowers, like French marigolds, leave a smell behind on your trays.
• Overdrying can cause very brittle and delicate flowers.
• Most flowers change color, especially the pinks purples and magentas that gained a deeper. ruddier color after drying.  Yellow flowers generally held their color well.

Drying flowers with Sand or Kitty Litter

How to dry flowers with sand or kitty litter uses the same process as drying flowers with silica gel.

Drying with sand or kitty litter, it takes longer, and the results are a mixed bag.  I found I never really got any consistency with this method.  You can use it in a pinch and still get OK results.

Materials Needed

• Sand or kitty litter
• Airtight glass or plastic container
• Flowers
• Scissors or garden pruners
• Mod Podge or hairspray to seal flower from moisture

What type of flowers

If your flowers can fit in a container and if you have enough sand or kitty litter you should have no problem drying most flowers.    Think roses, pansies, peonies, daisies, larkspur, carnations, bachelor buttons, or zinnias.   The larger, more delicate flowers like geraniums or peonies are hit and miss.  I found the kitty litter and sand too heavy to keep the shape of the flowers, but zinnias and daisies worked fine.

when is the best time to harvest for drying

Like all the other methods collect your flowers in the morning after the dew has dried and the flowers are freshest.

You will want partially opened blooms as the sand and kitty litter both take time to dry.

Sand, or Kitty Litter flower drying method

Cut your flower stems about an inch away from your flower head.

1. Place your large flower heads face up in a container at least 2 inches taller than the flower. Flat faced flowers do better if they are placed upside down. Flowers that are long, like larkspur, can be laid down on their sides.
2. Gently pour your kitty litter or sand over the flowers until covered by an inch.  Place a lid on top, or saran wrap and set them aside for 10-21 days.  (It’s hit or miss here you will have to test and experiment)
3. You need to be very gentle in removing your flowers.  The sand and kitty litter are heavy and can damage the shape of the flowers or weigh down and break off the petals.  Go slow, pretend you’re Indiana Jones without the fun and excitement.
4. You can use a soft bristle paint brush to remove the remaining sand or kitty litter.

Pros for drying flowers with sand or kitty litter

• Inexpensive method.

Cons for drying flowers with sand or kitty litter.

• The process is longer than say using silica gel.
• Flowers can be easily damaged during removal.
• Flowers do not keep or hold their vibrancy.

So what method is the best to dry flowers and what techniques to leave behind?

Pressed flowers were #1.

After testing all the methods above, I’m all for pressing flowers.

I love how easy it is, and the investment was a few pieces of wood and some screws to make a DIY press.

The pressed flowers are the best to use for cards, tags, decals, scrapbooking, bath bombs, handmade papers, potpourri, home decor items, and wallpaper.  You read that right; you can make your own wallpaper and deck it out with dried flowers.

Silica Gel was #2

My second favorite method was silica gel.  I plan on trying many more flowers with this method over the summer months.  The flowers retain their shape and colour better than any other way and open up the doors to all kinds of craft projects.

The dried silica gel flowers could be used in wreaths, centerpieces, and garlands, to name a handful.  Imagination is the limitation here because these flowers look amazing when dried and hold most of their shape and colour.

Air Drying, kitty litter, and sand were a “meh”!

Air drying flowers work well for bouquets and lavender.  I am not a fan of the vintage flower look, so the sepia tones of the dried blooms just didn’t do it for me.

Kitty litter and sand didn’t hold a candle to the silica gel.  But if you are opposed to working with silica, the kitty litter or sand could be an option.

And if If you like flowers and pretty things you should check out these posts:

Rose covered vases using polymer clay. 

Rose covered flower made from a drop cloth.