This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Alexandrea Ciardella. Find her on Instagram at @a6ysma1. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
What do you need to press flowers? Pressing flowers can be a difficult process if you’re not familiar with the craft. It’s important to get rid of all the moisture in the flower, but at the same time, you have to preserve the color and structure of the plant. There are a few tricks you can use to get the most out of your flowers, including methods of drying and the type of flower used.
Before we begin pressing flowers, it’s important to know which flowers are the best for pressing. The timing of when you pick these flowers is important; try to pick your flowers when they are close to full bloom. You also have to be mindful to pick them when they are dry. The best types of flowers for pressing are flowers with a single layer of petals or flowers with flat faces- try pansies or zinnias for your first project.
There are a few different methods you can use to press your flowers. The easiest and most famous method is the book/press method. Take a large, heavy book, open it to the very center of the book, and place moisture-absorbing paper between the pages. This can be anything from parchment paper, blotting paper, newspaper, or paper towels, though be mindful that any ink or indentations on the paper can transfer to the pressed flowers. Lay out your flowers on the paper a few inches away from each other and spread out the petals to prevent them from bunching. Close the book and wait roughly 2-4 weeks for the flowers to completely dry. This method is the best to use as the flowers dry naturally, but also requires a lot of patience! Alternatively, if you want to make a flower press, you can check out this article here.
If you don’t have the time to wait for your flowers to dry, you can try the microwave or iron methods. Using a microwave and a microwave flower press, arrange your flowers and place them into the microwave. Microwave them for about 25-30 seconds, giving them some time to cool down. Afterward, continue microwaving them in short bursts of 10 seconds until the flowers feel dry. But be careful as you might risk scorching or burning your flowers with this method!
Similar to the microwave method, the iron method is quick but also requires careful attention as it is easy to ruin your flowers. Use parchment paper and arrange your flowers, placing a layer of paper beneath and above your flowers. Iron the flowers on low heat for 15-30 seconds at a time, careful not to burn or scorch them. However, this method does lead to the flowers shrinking and the color dulling, so only use it if you can’t use any of the other methods.
But once you have your flowers, what should you make? You can go for an easy project, like a portrait or bookmark, or you can even try to make ornaments and lanterns with your flowers. You can use them to decorate however you like!
Did this help answer what you need to press flowers? Let us know if you like this article in the comments below!
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