Drying Flowers . - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 05-15-2002, 03:52 PM

I found this in a newsletter :

I am a craft queen with two children. I have worked with borax and silica gels and do not recommend it if you have small children around the house or if you have anyone with asthma or respiratory problems (I learned the hard way).

I buy a bag of children's play sand at the hardware store (costs around $2.00) lay sand in a dish, lay in flowers of all kinds (I've even had great success drying water lilies and delicate plants) lay sand evenly and completely cover flowers and put in a sunny window. In 1 week, they are dried, 2 weeks if you dry water lilies. The times may vary if you live in a humid climate (I live in the desert).

Tip: When removing delicate flowers I use a drinking straw to blow sand out from inner petals and make sure all the sand is removed before lifting flower up. ENJOY

Any other ideas ?

Jolie Rouge · 05-15-2002, 04:24 PM

I found a very cool book at the library : " Recipes for Arts and Crafts Materials" by Helen Roney Sattler published by Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard Books - New York Copyright 1987
They have all kinds of cool stuff - ya'll test me - c'mon, I'm ready for you now (at least until July 5 when I have to bring it back... )

Flower Preservative with Cornmeal :
! part powdered borax
2 parts cornmeal
covered cardboard box (shoebox or stationary box)
fresh flowers

Thoroughly mix cornmeal and borax
Cover the bottom of the box with 3/4 of an inch of the mixture.
Cut flower stems to about 1 inch long. Lay the flowers face down in the mixture. Spread the petals and leaves so that they lie as flat as pooiable. Do not lay flowers too close together - they should not touch at all.
Cover the flowers with 3/4 inch of mixture.
Place lid on box and keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks

How to Use :
Using this method, try preserving daisies, pansies, apple blossoms, asters, violets, and other flowers. they will stay summer fresh indefinitely.

Flower Preservative with Borax
Florist's Wire
Airtight Container ( coffee can or plastic cottage cheese contaner )
plastic bag
Borax
wire or string (bread ties)
soft brush (soft bristled paintbrush)

Pick flowers at the peak of their bloom.
Remove stems. Make new stems with florists wire. Run wire through the base of each flower and twist the two ends together.
Line container with plastic bag.
Pour enough borax inot plastic bag to cover bottom to the depth of 1 inch.
Place a flower face down in the borax. Pour about 1 inch over the top of the flower. Repeat until the container is full.
Gather the top of the bag, squeezing out all the air inside. Fasten shut with wire or string.
Place lid on can and set aside in a dry place for at least 4 weeks.
Remove flowers from borax and carefully brush away all residue with a soft brush.

How to Use :
Twisting the wire stems, make an attractive floral arrangement. Flowers suggested include : roses, pansies, violets, sweet peas, chrysanthemums, zinnias, marigolds, and daisies.

**** in both methods I think they are refering to the powdered borax that can be purchased in the laundry section at the local Wal-mart.... Anybody have any ideas who we could ask ?? *************

Flower Preservative with Sand :

baking pan 9 1/2 inches X 13 1/2 inches X 2 inches
3 quarts sterile dry fine sand ( fine white sand ca be purchased, but any light colored sand can be used if it is first baked at 212 degrees for 20 minutes and sifted through a fine screen)
flour sifter or wire sieve
paper towels
soft brush ( soft bristled paint brush workd fine)

fresh flowers

Fill the pan 1 inch deep with sand.
Place flowers face up on the sand.
Sift about 1 inch of sand over the flowers, carefully pushing the sand under the flowers so that they lay naturally and do not dry distorted.
Bake at 200 degrees for about 2 hours. You will need to experiment a little to get exact baking times for your flowers. To test, pour a little sand off one corner. If the flowers are damp and droopy, they need to dry a little longer. If they are dull and dark, they have baked too long. ( I think the word she is looking for is burnt...)
They should look about the same as they did when you put them in the oven.
Pour off the top layer of sand and carefully remove the flowers. Lay them on the paper towels to cool for an hour or so.
With a soft brush, carefully clean off all the sand that remains on the flowers.

How to Use :
Flowers preserved by this method are excellent for making picture arrangements. Glue them to velvet or cardboard and then fram the picture.

To store flowers until you are ready to use them, place them face down in cardboard boxes.

Jolie Rouge · 05-15-2002, 04:24 PM

Imagine if you could capture the beauty of your favorite flowers forever. That was the inspiration behind the book "The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers" by Laura C. Martin {QVC Publishing**. She shows how to use them to decorate everything from t-shirts to stationary, curtains to throw pillows. The plant's own pigment makes the stain.
Step-By-Step :
1. Cover a cutting board with 1 or 2 paper towels; add the fabric or paper you will be designing on. Arrange flowers and tape lightly in place. Cut off stem and most of the flower center if it's thick.
2. Cover with a paper towel(place plastic or foil inside shirts or bags to prevent bleed-thru)Then hammer lightly, increasing firmness gradually until the image of the flower appears on te towel.
3. Peek at the back of the fabric to be sure the color has transfered. Gently peel off tape and crushed foliage. Print leaves and stem begining with step one. Iron with proper heat for the fabric to set design.

Best Fabrics : Naturals with smooth close weaves such as cotton, wool, silk, or linen.
Best Papers : Absorbent watercolor or hand-made
Best Flowers : Any with thin petals and colorful pigment such as lobelia, pansy, phlox, cosmos
Best Leaves : Ferns, vetch, sweet gum...
Addtional Suggestions : Use freshly picked flowers. Substitute stems and leaves as necessary ( or paint them in). Keep prints out of bright light to prevent fading. Dry Clean Only -OR- First make a color copy of a fabric or paper print onto Iron-On transfer paper; cut out the copy and iron the image face down on your project.

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Okay, this was NOT my brillant idea, found it in the current issue of Woman's Day Magazine, June 26, 2001 page 88 ( Cover Article is "405 Best Ideas for Summer". Pick it up and thumb thru it while you are standing in the line at the grocery store because they have PICTURES that show some cute applications of this concept. I personally like the idea of a craft that I can also use to take out some aggression. I am thinking of letting the kids try it (clover leaves done in a 4 leaf clover pattern for a golf towel ???)for Father's Day Gifts but the thought of them sitting there banging away with hammers will require CLOSE supervision ! I would love to hear if anyone tries this out (results or ideas). I am thinking of a garden scene painted around the "pounded" flower images......

PRESSED PANSY PROJECTS : Pansies and their cousins violas have flat blossoms that press and dry wonderfully, making them ideal for projects that will last long after the blooms have faded from the garden. Learn how easy it is to press flowers, then use them to make a set of coasters, a framed wreath, or the pansy cards shown here. Pick up flats of flowers already in bloom, and snip the blossoms for pressing. Or grow them yourself to ensure a steady supply into summer; the more flowers you pick, the more your plants will produce.
Pressed Pansy Cards : To create personalized stationery, apply pressed pansies to handmade cards or to notepaper and matching envelopes. Pansies pressed on their stems work especially well for this project.
Materials: : Pansies and violas, or other dried flowers; medium- to heavy-weight paper or blank premade cards; bone folder or pencil; tweezers; small paintbrush; clear-drying craft glue.

Use or create cards in colors that complement your pressed flowers. If creating your own, make either a single-fold or accordion-style card, using a bone folder or the edge of a pencil to make sharp creases.

Arrange flowers on a spare sheet of paper as desired.

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully lift each flower; with a small paintbrush, dab the back of each with a bit of craft glue. Affix flowers to the card one at a time. Allow to dry before moving or touching.