Whether it’s a surprise bouquet from a loved one or a congratulatory bouquet, you have a few options for drying and preserving your flowers. You might be wondering how to dry flowers or where to start! Fret not, here are 2 simple ways to dry your flowers and keep them in shape :)

Air Dry

Items you’ll need:

• String
• Scissors
• Stick or hanger

Steps:

1. Prepare flowers by removing leaves from the flower stems. 
2. Group flowers and tie them together with a string.
3. Attach the flowers to a stick.
4. Hang the flowers to dry.

Microwave it

You saw that right! A quicker alternative would be to use your microwave and silica gel to preserve your flowers.

Items you’ll need:

• Microwave
• Silica Gel
• Microwave-safe dish
• Fine-tip brush
• Acrylic spray

Steps:

1. Cover the bottom of the microwave-safe dish with a layer of about an inch of silica gel. 
2. Place the flowers in and gently pour more gel over the petals. Ensure to do this gently so that the petals will stay upright.
3. Place the uncovered container in the microwave. 
4. The microwave temperature and time varies according to the type of flower. Our recommendation would be to start it on the lowest heat levels for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Ensure to keep a close eye on the flowers while it is in the microwave!
6. Once flowers have completely dried, open the microwave and immediately cover the container. 
7. Remove the covered container from the microwave, leave a small opening for the hot air to escape and let it sit for 24 hours.
8. Clean the gel from the petals with a fine-tip brush and then mist with an acrylic spray (also available at craft stores).

Now that you have your beautiful dried flowers, here are a few tips to keep them in good shape:

1. Keep dried flowers out of direct sunlight to reduce fading.
2. Keep dried flowers away from heat vents.
3. Gently dust dried flowers whenever needed
4. To keep them pristine, spray with unscented hairspray.
5. When not in use, store dried flowers in a box in a dry place away from dry heat.

We hope you managed to find some inspiration on preserving your flowers further! 

Love,
Ana Hana