I learned how to press flowers while working for a floral preservation company years ago. It was a very simple method and to this day, I enjoy pressing flowers as a hobby.
Here’s how you can do it easily! It’s also a nice way to make some extra money because if you learn how to do it well, you can even make extra money selling them!
Pressed Flowers for Sale
I occasionally sell some pressed flowers on EBAY, or if you’d like to be notified of new batches for sale them follow me on TWITTER or subscribe to comments below to be alerted!
What You’ll Need to Press Your Flowers
- Old Phone Books
- Scratch Paper (to absorb moisture)
- Masking tape (to date the batch)
- Black marker
- Scissors
You’ll need several thick phone books that you don’t want to use anymore. The reason why is because they’ll absorb the moisture from the flowers and will get dirty and possibly stain the pages.
Get some blank scratch paper. The paper helps to absorb the moisture from the flowers.
Cut the stem off of your flower (say it’s a daisy) ensuring that it’s as flat as possible and then face it down on the paper.
Cover the paper with another sheet of paper and then place it inside your heavy phone book.
Add a strip of masking tape to the side of your book that you filled with flowers and mark the date!
Next, stack more books on top of that book and leave to dry in a cool spot for roughly 2-3 wks. Note: The thicker the flower, the more time it will need.
Storage Tips
Downsides of Pressed Flowers
So, I have to say it, one of the downsides of working with real flowers is that over time, they will most definitely fade. Yes, it’s true. ** Sigh ** If you are creating a scrapbook for someone you love and just don’t want to lose the vibrant colors your envisioned then some floral stickers might be a wonderful option for you! To make them look more real, you can cut them out.
No one will know unless they touch them! And, the whole point is for decorative purposes, give it a try, you might love them.
I’m crazy for pansies and violas and below are some of my favorites that look very real! These colorful stickers will accent your projects perfectly and will last A LOT longer than a dried/pressed flower.
Purple Pansy Round Sticker
Round Purple and Yellow Pansy Stickers
pansy flowers sticker
Pretty Purple Pansy Stickers
Yellow Pansy Sticker
Violet Pansies Sticker
Pressing Leaves and Greenery
Greenery is incredibly important when making a collage or decorating for a scrapbook. Why? Because any type of greenery gives your piece balance and makes the flowers look a bit more life like! Don’t forget to add a few sprigs here and there.
Press your greenery the same way you’d press flowers. They are a bit easier because (depending on how thick the greenery) they will not take as long to press.
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