Flower pressing is carried out in two stages, both of which can be completed at any time of year.
There are thousands of different flowers and leaves that can be pressed and dried successfully and they are available throughout the year. For best results choose ‘flatter’ flowers such as Violas and Pansies, or separate out the smaller flower heads from large flower spikes found on e.g. Alstroemerias, Delphiniums and Foxgloves
- A selection of colourful flowers and leaves
- Some white tissue paper or similar nonglossy paper (A4 size is good)
- Old magazines or pieces of flat cardboard (A4 size)
- A stack of large heavy books or other weighty material
- Optional – an iron or a microwave oven, glazed tile or flat ceramic plate
Stage 1 – Gathering, pressing and drying the flowers
- In the morning, after the dew has evaporated, gather the fresh flowers and foliage you want to press. Make sure the materials you collect are not wilted or damaged in any way.
- Take one of the magazines (or flat cardboard) and put a piece of tissue paper on top of it.
- Carefully arrange the flowers and foliage on the tissue paper. Make sure they do not overlap as this will hinder the drying process. Take your time to arrange each one as this is how it will ‘set’ when it is pressed.
- Very carefully place another piece of tissue paper on top of your arrangement, and then another magazine (or flat card) on top of this. (This should now look a bit like a ‘sandwich’).
- Press down firmly on the magazine.
- Move the whole thing to a flat surface where it will not be disturbed and then place the heavy books on top. Leave it like this for two to four weeks or until the flowers and leaves are completely dry.
Stage 2 – Selecting and using the dried flowers
- Open the magazine and sort any failures from the successes. Some may be brown but most flowers, petals and leaves will be beautifully pressed and will have retained much of their colour.
- Once you have gathered the materials for your chosen activity, use tweezers to handle the dried flowers as some may be very delicate and brittle. Arrange the dried flowers and then ‘glue’ them in place with tiny dots of white ‘craft’ glue and leave to dry.
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