How to Treat Cattail Fronds for a Basket

Preserving Cattails for Dried Arrangements

• 1

  Cut cattails in late summer when they first turn brown; if you wait till autumn to cut your cattails, they'll break open later and scatter seed fluff in your house. According to the University of Florida Extension Service, you'll have best results if you cut them when the flowers are still visible at the top of the spike. Choose only young plants with tight spikes. Collect your cattails at midday, because the moisture and nutrients stored in the plants are at low levels in early afternoon, and you'll have better drying results.

• 2

  Choose cattails that are tightly formed and have not yet begun to burst open. Avoid collecting cattail fronds when they are wet or moist from dew. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the cattails with a stem of at least 12 inches---longer is better. According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, you should select plants without insect or disease problems. Groom the stalks and spikes to remove leaves and other materials from the cattails.

• 3

  Tie the stalks into a loose bunch, using just three or four stalks of the same size in each bunch. Wrap cotton string around the lower few inches of the stalks, with just enough tension to hold each stalk in place. Hang the cattails upside down in a place that's dry and cool with good ventilation. Air circulation helps prevent mold and allows for proper drying. Do not put your cattails in an oven or in front of a heater to speed up the process.

• 4

  Let the cattails dry for at least two weeks. Inspect them to make sure they are completely dry---depending on the thickness of the stems and the moisture content when they were cut, it could take up to a month for cattails to dry completely. Keep in mind that the bigger and "fleshier" cattails will take longer than slender little cattails.

• 5

  Take the dried cattails outside for spraying, or lay out newspapers in a well-ventilated indoor area. Hold the cattails upside down by the stem and spray every bit of the surface, including the stem, with a spray lacquer or hairspray. Ensure that they are completely coated with a light film, and re-hang them upside down. The spray coating will act as a "glue" to hold the cattail fluff in place; according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service, a clear lacquer, polyurethane or clear varnish spray will work. Allow the spray coat to dry thoroughly, then apply a second coat. Keep the cattail spikes from touching each other while they dry.

• 6

  Use the dip method as an alternative. It's a good idea to try both the spray method and dipping to see which produces the finished cattail you prefer. Dip the cattails carefully into a tall narrow container with at least 10 inches of thinned matte varnish. Try using a diluted glue solution, mixing 1 part liquid Elmer's glue with 9 parts water. Hang the dipped cattails over several layers of newspaper so they can "drip dry."

• 7

  Examine your sprayed or dipped cattails after a day or two to make sure they are completely dry. Arrange them right side up in a basket or other container; a tall can half filled with sand or clean gravel works well. Add other dried or fresh autumn plants to your basket. You can collect them or buy them, and good choices include goldenrod (if you're not allergic to it), along with milkweed pods, dried teasel, dried ferns, and dried twigs or grasses.