Dried Flower Arrangements Using Wild Flowers

Drying Methods

• Choose the best form of drying depending on the look and texture you're wanting from your dried flowers and foliage. Air-drying (also referred to as hang-drying) is the time-tested method of drying flowers that has been used for centuries. To use this method, tie your flowers at the stems and hang in a warm, dry, dark place. Pressing, ideal for framed arrangements and embellishments, is also time-tested. The phone book is a trusted flower press, although actual flower presses with blotter paper and a ventilation system work better. You can also dry your flowers in desiccants such as silica gel or a borax solution. Microwave drying is also a quick drying method, although you need to take care when using this method to make sure the heat is correct and the flowers are supported. For foliage, you can heat-press with the leaves and foliage between two sheets of wax paper and a hot iron.

Displaying

• After you have successfully dried your flowers, the next step is deciding how to display them. Air-dried or desiccant-dried arrangements work well in a vase or framed in a shadow box display. You can also display them by hanging them on the wall as they are. Pressed flowers are ideal for framing in regular photo frames. You can also use pressed flowers to decorate greeting cards, stationery or other items with either glue or decoupage. With the possibilities being nearly endless, your decision on how to display the arrangements may be harder than you think.

Preserving

• While drying initially preserves the flowers so that they maintain their shape, you may need to take care when displaying them to ensure they keep more of their color or don't get too moist. When framing flowers, place a desiccant pack between the paper or material the flowers are displayed on and the backer for the frame and wrap the edges of the glass and backer with aluminum tape. The desiccant pack absorbs excess moisture. Blue and yellow flowers will keep their color fairly well, reds and pinks tend to fade. Because of this, consider dying your flowers with food dye or another material to help keep the color.

Best Flowers Per Method

• Pressing is best for flowers that are thin and you don't mind if they're open or not. Anemone, daisies, phlox, pansies, delphinium, bleeding heart and zinnias are only a few examples of flowers ideal for pressing. Grasses, yarrow, larkspur, baby's breath and seed heads are often ideal for hang-drying. For desiccant drying, consider black-eyed susans, dahlia, daylilies, hyacinth and marigolds. Again, depending on the look you're going for, one may work better than the other.