How Do You Preserve Flowers: Easy DIY with Video
How To Preserve Fresh Flowers Permanently? There are many different methods for making dried flowers from just-picked flowers from your garden. Or perhaps you want to preserve flowers that have sentimental value, from wedding bouquets or anniversary flowers. This post will show you the best preservation method to cut, dry, and preserve your flowers with Modge Podge.
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I love the beautiful flowers that grow in our yard and drying them is a fantastic way to preserve those vibrant colors to enjoy them year-round. I pressed them and preserved them on an old vase so I could enjoy them year around. This can be done with any type of flower.
How Do You Preserve Flowers Step-by-step Instructions
1. Pick your flowers
This is the first step. I cut a variety of flowers I wanted to preserve. I looked for blooms that were open, and you could consider tightly closed blooms as well.
How Do You Preserve Flowers Video
2. Dry your flowers
To begin the air drying process I laid the delicate flowers on paper towels and placed another paper towel on top. You can also use sheets of wax paper.
Removal of the stems is up to you and what you are looking for, or you can pull of petals if you prefer.
For the best results place a heavy item on top of the flowers (you can easily use heavy books). This will press them to flatten them. Keeping them this way for a few days is a good idea. The goal is to remove the moisture and dry the foliage out.
I carefully took off the paper towel to reveal the flowers.
3. Clean your surface area
I cleaned my old vase with rubbing alcohol and let that dry.
My mom had given me a peel-and-stick dragonfly decal, so I followed the directions and placed this on one side of my vase.
4. Coat the surface with mod podge
For the next step, I painted a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the other side of the vase as a base coat. You can find Modge Podge at any craft store.
4. Place flowers on the surface
I placed the flowers onto the smooth surface of the vase as I wanted them.
5. Coat flowers with modge podge
I carefully painted another coat of Mod Podge sealer over the top of the vase and flowers.
I let it dry and then did a second coat and let that dry as well. It produces a beautiful glossy finish.
Will Mod Podge seal dried flowers?
The answer is yes. Here is the completed vase from the dragonfly side view.
Here’s the opposite view.
There are so many different ways I can use this vase. I can of course use it as a vase or I can use it as a pencil, utensil, candle holder, etc
How Do You Preserve Flowers: Video
How do you preserve flowers permanently Q & A
What do you spray on flowers to preserve them?
There are a number of ways to preserve flowers. You can find that information here which includes how to preserve flowers by spraying them with hairspray
How do you dry real flowers?
You can press flowers as described above or another easy way is to hang them upside down and wait for them to dry out.
How do you preserve leaves?
You can find that information in my tutorial How To Preserve Leaves
How do you dry flowers and keep color?
By following the above method, you’ll have the best chance of keeping the flower’s vivid colors.
How do you keep pressed flowers from fading?
The best method to keep their color is to preserve them before they’re dry. The sooner you preserve them the more color you save.
What do you use to preserve real flowers? More options:
- Dry them in a microwave
- Cure them in epoxy resin (this can be tricky not to get air bubbles and might require multiple layers of resin. You’ll also need additional tools a silicone mold, and it takes time for resin to cure.
- Dry them with silica gel
- Let the flower dry and turn them into potpourri
- Dip them in paraffin wax
- Air-dry them upside down on a hanger
What kind of flowers are great for drying?
- strawflower
- lavender
- zinnias
- peonies
- carnations
- dahlias
- marigolds
- pansies
- there are endless possibilities really.
You can learn more about Mod Podge in this article – What is Mod Podge? A Magic Craft Supply!
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Check out some of my other flower-related posts!
Very pretty!
Thank you so much Tamar 🙂
I love this! My daughter’s fave is sea creatures and such; so I’m going to “borrow” this idea, play with it and send you a pic. Thanks!
Thank you Sue, and yes I would love to see your twist and take on it please do send pictures 🙂
Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much Christine
do you spray the vase to coat and protect so you can wash it?
So beautiful! My daughters and I forage wildflowers all through the spring, summer and fall. We’ll have to give this a try. Found you through the Simple Homestead Blog Hop!
Thank you Sarita and thanks for sharing. I would love to see what you and your daughter’s create – and thanks for stopping by.
A great way to use what we find in nature, huh!?!
Thank you Sue, you are so right and I’m excited to enjoy it year around
Oh my gosh, Chas. That is beautiful! Such a pretty DIY. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
You are so sweet Linda, thank you so much. Hope you’re having a lovely week.
Lovely!
Thank you Michelle 🙂
That is really beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Encouraging Hearts and Home. Pinned.
Thank you Joanne, I truly appreciate it and thanks for the great party and Pin.
What a wonderful way to save some precious flowers. I love how memories could be preserved this way. Your upcycled vase turned out beautiful.
You are so very sweet, thank you so much Amy, I appreciate it.
So simple yet so cute. Love it. Pinned
Thank you Anita and thanks for the Pin
Beautiful! My mom always asks if I press the flowers my sister sends to my sons grave. I said I don’t know how but now that I do I’m definitely doing this and putting it in his room. Thank you for wonderful instructions.
Thank you Danna, and I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope that you might be able to create something beautiful with those flowers in his memory.
How pretty! Totally pinning this!
You are so kind Veronica, thank you
can u wash the vase ?
If you use dishwasher-safe Mod Podge you can wash the vase, and it seals it.
That’s great, I wouldn’t have thought of using mod podge but it turned out so well.
I remember pressing flowers as a kid and then using clear sticky backed plastic over them to make cards but I always had bubbles that I couldn’t get rid of!
Thank you Julie, and thanks for sharing that memory, I totally remember doing that too and had trouble with bubbles as well.
Thank you for sharing at #ThursdayFavoriteThings. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!!
Thank you so much Marilyn, I appreciate it. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!
Thank you very much Marilyn, I appreciate it. Hope you are having a lovely weekend.