Let’s address the elephant in the room: Flowers don’t last forever and will eventually wilt. There, you heard it, straight from your local Salt Lake City florist. However, just because a flower won’t live forever, doesn’t mean their only fate is to be thrown in the trash when they start to die. At Brown Floral, we love the idea of preserving the beauty of flowers for as long as possible.
Pressing Flowers:
Pressing flowers may not seem immediately obvious to our modern society. When most people think of pressing flowers, they think of a Jane Austen-era tradition that fair maidens did to preserve flowers that potential suitors offered as tokens of affection. But people have been pressing flowers for hundreds of years to create not only memories but also beautiful artwork.
Without further ado, here is a step-by-step guide to pressing flowers:
Step one: Gather your equipment. You will need the following:
- Several heavy books – including one you don’t mind damaging, such as an old dictionary or encyclopedia.
- Paper: This will be used to protect the flower and absorb moisture. Your local craft store will have blotting paper specifically for pressing flowers, but computer paper or newspaper will work just fine.
- Fresh flowers: This one is obvious, but you of course need a flower or two to press. Brown Floral offers the freshest flower delivery in Salt Lake City, so our arrangements are perfect for flower pressing if you’re in the area.
Step two: Prepare your flowers. Choose which flowers you want to press. You can either create an arrangement on a single page, or press individual flowers and arrange them later. For thick or bulbous flowers, such as roses, you can actually cut them in half to allow them to press more easily. Pick which side of the flower you would like to show in the final press, and cut off everything behind the stem. Since the cut part will be on the bottom of the final product, it will still look beautiful in the end.
Step three: Place the flowers in the book: You will need four pieces of paper. Place two sheets in the book, and arrange your flowers on the paper to suit your fancy. Consider doing a quick internet search for pressed flower arrangements if you need inspiration.
Step four: Carefully press your flowers. Place the remaining two sheets of paper on top of your flowers, being careful to not disturb the arrangement. Gently close the book, and pile more heavy books, or a brick or two, on top to create an even pressure.
Step five: Follow Up: You have done all the hard work to preserve you flowers, but this might be the most important step to end up with a beautiful final product. The inner sheets of paper serve as moisture blotters, and these will need to be replaced every few days in order to keep a dry environment to preserve the color of your flower. Carefully open the book and replace the two sheets of paper that touch the flower. Continue this for several weeks until the flowers are completely dry and paper-like. They will be very fragile, so be careful to not break them!
Step six: Display your art: We love the idea of framing flowers and creating artwork with them. Consider using a clear glass frame for a cool modern effect. For a more vintage feel, you can cut out a page from the dictionary or encyclopedia you pressed your flower with to use as a background.
Choose Brown Floral For Your Pressed Flowers
Brown Floral has been providing flowers to the Greater Salt Lake Valley for over 100 years. We have a huge selection of fresh flowers and arrangements, and our vibrant blooms are perfect specimens for pressing. If you send a flower delivery to a friend or loved one in the area, link them to this blog so they can learn how to press their flowers and preserve their beauty for years to come! Come in today to check out our flower selections!