A wedding bouquet, a garden clipping, or a roadside wildflower can become a flat, delicate keepsake that lasts for years. Pressed flowers work beautifully in framed art, greeting cards, bookmarks, resin jewellery, and scrapbooks. With a few household supplies and a little patience, you can preserve your favourite blooms at home.
What to Gather
- Fresh flowers and foliage, picked on a dry day
- Absorbent paper: blotting paper, coffee filters, kitchen paper, parchment paper, or plain printer paper
- Weight: a heavy book, a flower press, or ceramic tiles
- Scissors and tweezers
Avoid glossy or printed paper, which can stick to damp petals. A flower press gives the flattest result, but a heavy book works well too.
Best Flowers to Press
- Easy: pansies, violas, daisies, cosmos, forget-me-nots, lobelia, larkspur, and ferns
- Good with care: rose petals, geraniums, hydrangea florets, lavender, and buttercups
- Tricky thick blooms: lilies, tulips, orchids, and succulents — press them petal by petal or split them open first
Blues, purples, and yellows hold their colour best. Reds may darken, and white petals often turn cream or brown.
Four Pressing Methods
1. Book Pressing
Place the flower between two sheets of absorbent paper, then between the pages of a heavy book. Close the book and stack more books on top. Check after the first few days and change the paper if it feels damp. Leave for two to four weeks.
2. Flower Press
Layer the flower between blotting paper and cardboard inside the press. Tighten the straps evenly. Leave for two to four weeks, tightening again after a few days as the flower dries.
3. Microwave Pressing
Place the flower between paper and microwave-safe tiles or ceramic plates. Microwave on low to medium for 30 seconds, then cool completely before checking. Repeat in 10–15 second bursts until dry. Never use a press with metal fittings.
4. Iron Pressing
Set the iron to low or medium heat with the steam off. Press the flower between two sheets of paper for 10–15 seconds, lifting the iron straight up — do not slide it. Let the flower cool flat, then finish with a day or two in a book.
Pro Tips
Arrange the flower before pressing, because you cannot reposition it afterwards. Press extra ferns and grasses for fillers. Label everything with the flower name and date. Handle dried petals with tweezers, and store finished pieces in a dry, flat container away from damp and direct sunlight.
Quick Troubleshooting
- Flowers turned brown: they were too wet or dried too slowly. Use fresh flowers, change the paper, or try the microwave method.
- Mould appeared: too much moisture. Discard affected flowers and make sure everything is dry before storing.
- Petals stuck to paper: use parchment paper or coffee filters, and peel gently with tweezers.
- Flowers crumbling: they are over-dried. Handle gently and reduce heat or drying time next time.
Ways to Use Pressed Flowers
Make framed botanical art, greeting cards, gift tags, bookmarks, resin pendants, coasters, candles, soap, scrapbook pages, wedding keepsakes, or phone cases. Sandwich petals between clear layers or seal them with adhesive film for a lasting finish.
With the right flowers and a little patience, pressing flowers is a simple way to hold onto a memory for years.