Spring Showers Bring Pressed Flowers

Pressed flowers make beautiful displays and excellent gifts. They are especially lovely when encapsulated inside of a picture frame. However, if not framed properly, these blooms will decay and ruin. Preserve these flowers by protecting them from the elements. Here are some simple steps to follow which will ensure the pressed flower artwork will hold the beauty of spring and summer’s brightest blooms year round.

• Choose the flowers to press. Decide on what flowers to press by picking dry blooms with newly opened blooms. Pick the flowers later in the day to avoid moisture created by dew. Choose a flower with an open face and colorful petals. While preparing the other flower press materials, prevent them from wilting by placing them in a refrigerator or ice chest.
• Press the flowers. Place the flowers face up inside the folds of newspaper pages. Make sure the stems or petals are not overlapping. Find a very heavy book and place the newspaper pages inside the middle of it. Multiple blooms can be pressed with multiple pages throughout the book. Place another heavy object on top and leave for two the three days.
• Frame the flowers. Glue the flowers onto colorful cardstock paper with clear adhesive and a paintbrush. To ensure the development of any moisture, store the floral display overnight with silica gel. Then, place the dried flower and cardstock face up on a clean, dry vintage picture frame, round picture frame or oval picture frame. Use scissors to cut a desiccant board which will be the same size as the piece of glass in the picture frame. Place the desiccant board on top of the pressed flower and cardstock to absorb any moisture that may remain in the picture or seep through with time. Lay a piece of aluminum foil over the desiccant board and secure with tape to form a seal. Place the backing of the photo frame over the artwork and enjoy the beautiful results.
• Use the flowers. The pressed flower artwork makes a beautiful hostess present, an excellent party favor or meaningful teacher gift. A bridesmaid can frame and dry the flowers from her wedding day bouquet to give to the bride as a wedding present. The framed flowers also make a beautiful display as wall art, placed alongside silver picture frames or gold picture frames with photographs of a special event.