Hello and thanks for your question.
Drying flowers can be a great way to prolong the beauty and memories
associated with a lovely bouquet.
There are three main ways to dry flowers. One is simply to tie the
bouquet together and hang it upside down. The flowers dry over a
period of several weeks simply through exposure to air. This process
can take a long time especially in more humid climates or if the
flowers contain a lot of moisture.
A second method is to use sand to dry the flowers. You fill a box with
about an inch of white sand, place the bouquet on top of the sand and
cover the bouquet with another layer of sand. Make sure the blooms
are covered and place in a warm, dry location. The flowers should dry
in about three weeks.
A third method involves using a mixture of borax and cornmeal. Mix
one part borax with one part cornmeal. Again fill the bottom of a
container with about one inch of the mixture and place the flowers on
top. Cover the blossoms with the remaining mixture and seal the
container. Place the container in a warm dry area and the flowers
should be dry in about 2 to 3 weeks.
If you want fast results, the best method is to use silica gel. A
step-by-step guide on how to dry flowers with silica gel can be found
at:
MarthaStewart.com
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=tvs3643a
This method involves pouring silica gel into an airtight container
(such as a cookie tin or tupperware) and then placing the flowers on
top of the layer of gel. You then pour the silica gel over the petals
of the flowers. You then cover the container and place it in a warm,
dry location. The flowers should be dried in approximately 3 days
(there is some variation depending on what kind of flower you are
drying). The silica gel will turn from blue to pink; the pink color
indicates that it has absorbed the water from the flowers. The silica
gel is then simply poured out of the container leaving the dried
flowers. Sometimes there is residue from the gel left on the flowers
after they have dried. This can be removed by sprinkling sand over
the flowers. Detailed directions on using silica gel to dry flowers
can be found on the web page listed above.
You can purchase silica gel at the following web address:
Dorothy Biddle
http://www.dorothybiddle.com/
Before getting started you should also note that certain types of
flowers do not dry well. The Martha Stewart site states that, "There
are two types of flowers that don’t dry well: exotic flowers such as
birds of paradise, anthurium, and orchids because of their high water
content; and any red flower, which will turn brown once dried. "
Additional Links:
A description of the three main "do-it-yourself" methods for drying
flowers can be found at:
DIY Net
http://www.diynet.com/DIY/article/0,2058,1534,00.html
A very thorough article on drying flowers can be found at:
Clemson Extension: Home and Garden Information Center
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1151.htm
Another helpful resource on "do-it-yourself" flower drying can be
found at:
Hume Seeds
http://www.humeseeds.com/drying.htm
Search terms:
flowers drying
flowers drying diy
flowers drying silica gel
Hope that helps. If you are unsatisfied with any portion of this
answer please request clarification before submitting a rating.
Good luck!
-blinkwilliams-ga |
