How to Preserve Fresh Flower Bouquets

Remove the flowers from the bouquet and cut off the flowers' stems just below the bottom of the bloom with a pair of scissors.

Attach florist wire to the remaining bit of stem. If you're drying flowers with soft centers, such as daisies and marigolds, insert one end of an 8-inch length of 24-gauge wire through the center of the stem, starting at the base. Feed the wire up into the stem and through the top of the flower. Bend over the end of the wire to create a small hook and pull it back down through the top of the flower. You should lodge the hook in the center of the flower and make sure it's well hidden.

Insert an 8-inch length of 24-gauge wire through the side of the remaining stem if you're working with flowers, such as roses, that have hard centers. Feed the wire through the stem until you have an even length on either end and bend both length down to meet one another and create a short stem.

Pour a 1- to- 2-inch layer of silica gel crystals in a container that has an airtight lid. You can use anything from plastic containers to candy tins and large-mouth jars.

Coil the flowers' wire stems, curling the wire up from the bottom, and insert the wire into the layer of silica gel. Adjust the base of the flower so it sits on top of the silica gel and its petals are well-supported, and continue adding flowers to the container. Space them about 1/2 inch away from one another.

Sprinkle silica gel over the blooms. As you slowly add the gel, try not to disturb the positioning of the petals. If you do bend a petal, use a toothpick to maneuver it back into the correct position. Add silica gel until you've completely covered the flowers.

Pick up the container and tap on the base to encourage the silica gel to settle, check to make sure the flowers are still completely covered and cover the container with an airtight lid. Place the container in a cool, dry place and allow the flowers to dry. This can take between three and eight days, depending on the flower variety.

Pour away the top layer of silica gel once the flowers have had time to dry. When you can see the flower petals, dig your fingers underneath the base of each bloom and gingerly lift them from the desiccant.

Turn the flowers upside down and gently tap off any remaining silica gel. Use a dry, soft paintbrush to brush off any remaining dust from the petals. Once you've removed all traces of silica gel from the flowers, you can uncoil the florists wire and arrange the blooms back into a bouquet.