{"id":7378,"date":"2021-04-06T11:11:28","date_gmt":"2021-04-06T10:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/?p=7378"},"modified":"2026-04-02T12:12:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T11:12:21","slug":"how-to-press-flowers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog-content.thortful.com\/how-to-press-flowers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to press flowers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone loves to receive flowers, and can appreciate some beautiful blooms in the garden \u2013 truly one of<\/span> life\u2019s little joys<\/span><\/a>. The only real problem with flowers, to be honest, is that they don\u2019t last forever. The solution: flower pressing. We\u2019re here to explain the traditional art of how to press flowers, so you can create pretty flowers for crafting or hold onto that particular bouquet with real sentimental value.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe you want to save flowers from your wedding bouquet, or from a special anniversary. Maybe you\u2019d like to press flowers from a special day, like an afternoon spent picking flowers in the garden with your grandkids, or daisies from a picnic with friends. You can create beautiful art with pressed flowers, from scrapbooks to glass frames, which look so stylish in Scandinavian hygge-style home d\u00e9cor.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter why you want to press flowers, our guide to creating pretty pressed flowers is fool-proof \u2013 so give it a try. It\u2019s an easy way to spend a day crafting with kids in springtime, and even winter flowers can be used to make<\/span> pretty Christmas crafts<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you press flowers?<\/b><\/h2>\n

You might think it\u2019s as easy as chucking a flower in between two heavy objects and leaving it on top of a radiator\u2026 and, well, okay, it\u2019s a <\/span>bit<\/span><\/i> like that, but there\u2019s more of an art to flower pressing. Here are our recommended steps for how to press flowers, suitable for even beginners!<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Pick your flowers<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re picking your own flowers from your garden, cut them after the morning dew has evaporated, and avoid rainy days. You want your flowers to be as dry as possible when you start pressing them.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Prep store-bought flowers or bouquets<\/b><\/h3>\n

You can give your pressed flowers a little boost before you flatten them down by encouraging them to bloom. A few hours before you want to start flower pressing, snip the stems at an angle and place them in a vase with flower food or a spoonful of sugar to help them blossom to their best. Remove any leaves that sit below the water in the vase. When you\u2019re ready to press the flowers, thoroughly blot the flowers and stems with kitchen towels to wick away any excess moisture.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Pick a book to press flowers with<\/b><\/h3>\n

Pick a few heavy books \u2013 we\u2019re talking a big old almanac, or a couple of hefty Game of Thrones tomes, that kind of thing. Choose a book that\u2019s big enough to completely cover your flowers, as any ends that stick out won\u2019t dry fully.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Line your book<\/b><\/h3>\n

Open your book, and line a double-page spread with newspaper. You can also use plain tissues or parchment paper, and even coffee filters work well! Avoid kitchen towels with a pattern \u2013 the embossed texture can actually imprint onto the delicate petals. The paper will absorb the moisture from the flowers as they dry.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Arrange your pressed flowers<\/b><\/h3>\n

Place your flowers on the page, as flat as you can. Put the flowers closer to the book\u2019s spine, as this helps to make sure that most of the book\u2019s weight is pressing down on the flowers. Close the book, making sure you don\u2019t dislodge the flowers.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Weigh down the book to press the flowers<\/b><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll need pressure to press the flowers (groundbreaking, we know.) Create this by stacking more heavy books on top of your flower-pressing book. Try to make sure you\u2019ve got an even pressure on the flower \u2013 if there\u2019s a leaf or petal that\u2019s not being pressed into the newspaper, it could just shrivel up and ruin the delicate look you\u2019re aiming for, and we\u2019re not about pressed flowers.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Dry your flowers out<\/b><\/h3>\n

When flower pressing, you need to dry the flowers as quickly as possible \u2013 otherwise you risk the flowers going brown or fading, and you\u2019ll lose the pretty colouring, which is kind of the whole point in the first place. Once you\u2019ve got your pressed flowers carefully arranged in a book, you need to find somewhere warm and dry to store them for a few days. Ideal spots would be in your airing cupboard near your central heating boiler, by a radiator, or in a warm and sunny spot in summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

How long does it take to press flowers?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pressing flowers can take around 7 to 10 days to press flowers flat. Pressing flowers isn\u2019t the speediest process, as it does take days for your pressed flowers to truly dry out, but it\u2019s well worth your patience! When you take your flowers out, you might want to use tweezers to transfer them to your scrapbook\/art piece\/frame \u2013 they\u2019ll be really fragile.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flower pressing top tips<\/b><\/h2>\n