If you love flowers and are always sad to see a beautiful bouquet go, then our Salisbury florists at Kitty’s Flowers recommend learning how to dry flowers. (Beginner’s hint: It’s super easy!) Whether you have a bouquet from a special occasion like a graduation, wedding, or anniversary that you’d like to save in order to remind you of your happiest days or simply have an arrangement that you think is too beautiful to throw away, drying your flowers will allow you to enjoy them for years. Keep reading to learn some easy techniques for drying flowers and all about what you can do with your flowers once they’re dry.

Bouquet of Dried Roses

How to Dry Flowers

The traditional method — hanging flowers upside down to air dry — for drying flowers is also the best. Hanging flowers produces life-like blooms with their vibrant colors completely intact. First, you’ll want to remove your flowers’ leaves. Arrange the flowers however you like and tie their stems together with string. Use the other end of the string to hang them from a ceiling beam, hook, or clothes hanger. You’ll get the best results, if you dry the flowers in a location without direct sunlight and if they’re not hanging up against a flat surface, like a wall. Although this method works really well, it requires several days of waiting until your flowers will be ready to display.

If you want to speed up the process, you can dry flowers in the oven. Preheat the oven to its lowest heat setting and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange flowers so they don’t overlap and pop them in the oven. Leave the door cracked open so moisture can evaporate and check on them, as they dry. Depending on the type of flowers, they should be dry in eight to twelve hours.

Hanging Dried Flowers

With the right supplies, you can dry flowers in the microwave in just two or three minutes. First, trim the leaves and excess stems from your flowers. Then arrange them in a microwave-safe container. Get a package of silica sand and cover your flowers completely. Put them in the microwave with a cup of water and heat in 30-second intervals until dry.

What You Can Do with Dried Flowers

Now that your flowers are dry, you can come up with lots of creative ways to use and display them. While they’ll look lovely arranged in a bouquet that’s similar to the one you originally received, they will also make beautiful wreathes that you can hang anywhere in your home. Another wonderful decorating idea is to create a keepsake by filling a shadow box with dried flowers and other mementos from a special day.

Dazzling Dahlias

One of the best parts of drying and decorating with a professionally arranged bouquet, like our Dazzling Dahlias arrangement, is that they’ve already been color coordinated and selected to complement each other. So, no matter what you create, it’s sure to look amazing!

Bouquet of Dried Flowers in Glass Vase

For more information about drying flowers and recommendations on the best flowers for drying, we welcome you to stop by Kitty’s Flowers.