Valentines Day dried flowers projects
Here are some ideas if you want to add a handmade touch to your Valentines Day gift this year. Making something yourself shows your willingness to put in time and effort for another person. What could be more romantic than that! I’ve also included some ideas for preserving a fresh bouquet should you receive one!
Say it with dried flowers this Valentine
Sending dried, pressed or preserved flowers says that you care about someone long term. Giving them something that will last means they can look at it again and again – your gift will act as a lasting memento.
Use the language of flowers to tell someone how you feel – I like this article at Almanac.com. Here are some highlights:
- Roses for love but dark red roses for deep love and commitment
- Forget-me-nots for “don’t forget me”
- Daisy for pure, true, loyal love.
Pressed flowers
Why not make a pressed flower card or framed artwork? There are many pressed flowers to choose from online if you can’t press your own.
Why not give a handmade dried flower bouquet?
How to make a bouquet of dried flowers
- Choose three or more types for a mixed bouquet
- For an informal arrangement include grasses
- For a hand-tied look, take a few stems as the centre, then continue to turn the stems over in your hand, adding a few more of each type diagonally as you turn
- Vary the stem length for added interest so that some flowers pop out
- For an informal posy tie with string or twine, or for a more formal arrangement use satin ribbon in a bow
- Don’t forget to trim the ends of the stems and twine
The dried flower bunches above are a lovely combination of colours but also an interesting collection of shapes. Spikes of lavender and wheat contrast with the rounded Nigella pods and the simple daisy flowers of the pink Rhodanthe. The upright spikes also contrast with the lax messy stems of the Rhodanthe. Once combined in a mixed bouquet, these flowers will look fabulous!
Or take a shortcut – buy a simple bunch of dried flowers and add your own ribbon!
Preserve a fresh flower bouquet
If you receive a fresh bouquet of flowers for Valentine’s Day this year, why not hang it up to dry or press it once you’ve enjoyed it for a few days?
Pressing flowers from a bouquet
- The key is to separate the bunch into separate stems.
- Don’t press anything that looks past it as it won’t improve in the press!
- If any of the flower heads look too fat to flatten, separate them into smaller pieces, for example by removing the petals.
- Don’t forget to press some leaves too for variety.
- You can reassemble the bouquet afterwards in two dimensions in a frame!
- See more tips for how to press flowers
Hanging up to dry
- If you’re thinking of drying a precious bouquet, ask a professional to do it, to be on the safe side!
- Otherwise, separate the flowers into bundles of five stems or less otherwise they might go mouldy before they dry.
- Tie each bundle with an elastic band and hang upside down above a radiator for about a week.
- Different flowers take longer to dry and some won’t work at all, so check them regularly and be open to binning a few stems. For example, I don’t think its possible to dry lilies by hanging.
- See more tips for how to dry flowers
Make petal confetti
- Strip the petals or small flower heads from the stems
- Lay them out in a single layer somewhere warm and dry for example on a radiator shelf
- Leave for a few days or until crisp
- Store in an airtight container until needed
- Use the petals for an upcoming wedding, to dress a table or bed for a romantic evening, or make potpourri
- See more tips on how to make confetti
I hope you have a wonderful day!
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