How to Store Pressed Flowers

Pressing flowers is a beautiful way to immortalize the natural beauty of fresh flowers, making them a part of special occasions or everyday life. In this guide, we’ll explore various methods and techniques for pressing and storing flowers, ensuring your pressed blooms retain their original color and beauty for a long time. 

Whether you’re an enthusiast of flower art crafts, want to create herbarium sheets with plant specimens, or simply want to cherish your own flower press creations, we’ve got you covered with the most popular ways and important tips.  Before I get into how to store your pressed flowers, let’s talk about HOW to press them.

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Pressing flowers is a simple technique that requires minimal equipment. Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Fresh Flowers: Choose your favorite flower type for the best results.  I like to choose a variety of different kinds of my favorite flowers for different kinds of projects.
2. Absorbent Material: Use sheets of absorbent paper, like blotter paper, parchment paper, or paper towels.  My preference is parchment paper.
3. Heavy Books: Gather a couple of old, heavy books or phone books. (Do they even make phone books anymore?)
4. Rubber Bands: These will help secure the flowers during the pressing process.
5. Wax Paper: This is optional but helpful to prevent sticking.

​How to Press Flowers

1. Start by selecting the freshest flowers with beautiful blooms. Avoid flowers with obvious stamens, as they can stain the petals during pressing.  Wondering what a stamen is?  It’s that pollen producing part of the flower, which can often stain things yellow.
2. Lay the flowers flat on a sheet of absorbent paper, ensuring they don’t overlap or touch.
3. Place another sheet of absorbent paper on top of the flowers.
4. Carefully close the book, placing the flowers between the pages.
5. Use rubber bands to secure the book tightly, adding additional weight on top if needed.
6. Leave the flowers to press in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

I’m not going to lie, sometimes I get lazy and just place the flowers directly in a book with no paper between the flowers.  This works well for me, but if you choose to do this method, understand that it could ruin the pages of your book by staining them or leaving flower residue.

The Drying Process

The drying process may take several weeks, depending on the flower type and thickness. Check periodically to ensure they’re ready for storage. Thicker flowers or bulkier plants might require more time.

Choosing the Right Storage Materials

When it comes to storing your flowers, you have to decide what your end result is.  I’m a frugal person so I may not get things on this list like silica gel, but that means in the end my pressed, dried flowers may not last as long.  I’m okay with that though, because there’s always more flowers I can press.  However, if you want to do things the best way, the items on this list are extremely helpful in making sure your pressed flowers stay in tip-top shape for a long time.

So here are the materials you want to store your flowers.

Acid-Free Paper: When it’s time to store your pressed flowers, opt for acid-free paper, like printer paper or tissue paper, to prevent discoloration.

Silica Gel: For added protection against moisture, consider using silica gel packets in your storage containers.

Wooden Flower Press: Investing in your own flower press or crafting one from wooden pieces is a good choice for preserving flower petals and plant material.  While I am more than happy to use books to press my flowers, if I was doing it it on a larger scale I would absolutely invest in a flower press like this one.

Proper Care and Handling of Pressed Flowers

To maintain the natural color and beauty of your pressed flowers:

1. Handle them with clean, dry hands or wear cotton gloves to avoid transferring oils or dirt.
2. Store them in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, away from bright light or direct sunlight.  (I’ll give you some ideas on how to do this in a minute.)
3. Periodically inspect your stored pressed flowers for signs of deterioration or mold, especially if stored in a humid environment.

How to Store Pressed Flowers

Picture Frames

Framing pressed flowers is one of the most popular ways to display your creations. Ensure the frame has UV-protective glass to prevent fading, or be sure to hang them where they aren’t in direct sunlight.

 

Herbarium Sheets

Create personalized herbarium sheets to document the name of the flowers, their original color, and other details. Use acid-free adhesive to attach the pressed flowers securely.  A journal style herbarium book is a great way to do this.

 

Flower Art Crafts

Incorporate your pressed flowers into craft projects such as scrapbooking, note cards, or other creative endeavors.

Wooden Press

Consider crafting your own flower press or purchasing a wooden press for efficient and organized flower pressing.

 

An artist Storage box

This is my preference. You can store the flowers in the different drawers until you want to use them.  There is a three drawer box like the one below, but you can also get ones with more drawers.

 

Reviving Faded Flowers

If your pressed flowers lose some of their color over time, you can try reviving them by doing the following:

1. Gently mist the flowers with water.
2. Place them in a Ziploc bag for a few hours to rehydrate.
3. Lay them flat between sheets of absorbent paper and apply a warm iron on a low setting in a gliding motion to restore their vibrancy.

 What to do with Pressed Flowers

Pressing flowers is a fun way to keep their beauty around forever. Once you’ve got your pressed flowers ready, you might wonder how to use them in cool ways. Well, here are some easy and fun ideas:

1. Frame Your Flowers

Put your pressed flowers in a picture frame. Arrange them nicely, and it’ll be like having a piece of nature on your wall.

2. Make Special Cards

Decorate your greeting cards with pressed flowers. It’s a sweet way to make your cards unique.

3. Create Pretty Jewelry

Turn your pressed flowers into jewelry. Make necklaces, earrings, or even rings. You’ll have your own flower-inspired accessories.

4. Craft Unique Bookmarks

Laminate your pressed flowers between two pieces of clear adhesive paper to make cool bookmarks. Perfect for readers!

5. Flower Candle Magic

Stick pressed flowers onto your candles with heat-resistant glue. When you light the candle, it’ll look magical with flowers inside.

6. Personalize Your Phone Case

Decorate your phone case with pressed flowers. It’s a simple way to make your phone look one-of-a-kind.

7. Make Wall Art

Arrange pressed flowers on a canvas or wooden board and glue them in place. Hang it up for cool, flowery wall art.

8. Pretty Stationery

Use pressed flowers to decorate your letters and envelopes. Your notes will look really pretty and your friends and family will love getting them in the mail.

These are easy and fun ways to use pressed flowers. You can bring a touch of nature into your life with these simple ideas.

Pressing and storing flowers is a simple yet rewarding way to preserve the natural beauty of your favorite blooms. Whether you’re crafting herbarium sheets, creating flower art crafts, or framing your pressed flowers, these techniques and tips will help you maintain the original color and beauty of your pressed flowers. 

Enjoy the beauty of your summer blooms with your own flower press creations. With the right care and proper handling, your pressed flowers will continue to captivate and delight for years to come. How you know not only how to store your pressed flowers, but how to press flower petals in general.