We are often asked how to make flowers last for the longest amount of time possible. We’ve even had people ask us if there is a way they can make their flowers last forever…and while nothing lasts forever, we’ve got a solution that can get pretty close to that!
Flowers make a wonderful gift and many of them are quite long lasting. Still, they are no longer a living plant and no matter what varieties you’ve been given, their days as a fresh cut are numbered. Luckily, there are ways to hang on to those flowers and give them a new life!
Dried flowers are making a huge splash right now. For some dried flowers are nostalgic, bringing back memories of trends of the 70’s and 80’s, but recently they’ve had a major resurgence in popularity and there’s many modern takes on the trends of the past. 
Dried flowers are in demand as a gift for all occasions including birthdays, anniversaries and housewarming gifts. We have also seen them popping up in wedding work and it’s no wonder- they provide interesting textures and a perfect keepsake after the big day! Drying flowers is a great way to preserve the beauty of the growing season and create a super long-lasting gift.
Drying flowers is an easy way to hold on to your cut flowers. You can preserve your beautiful blooms at home with a few simple steps:
1. Choose flowers that dry well and are at their peak.
Some varieties of flowers dry better than others. For example, Strawflower, and Statice maintain their beautiful colours when dried and Lavender maintains its scent well beyond being dried. Most flowers air-dry best when they are just beginning to open since they will continue to open a bit as they dry.Here is a list of some flowers that dry particularly well:
Strawflower
Lavender
Statice
Roses
Yarrow
Eucalyptus
Baby’s Breath
Craspedia
Eryngium
- Prepare the flowers:
Put your flowers into small bunches. Strip the leaves off of the stems and tie the end of the bunch with a rubber band, wrapping it around 2 or 3 stems. The stems will shrink as they dry, but the rubber band will stay put. Keeping the bunches smaller helps the flowers to dry faster and prevents the stems from becoming mouldy.
- Hang the bunches:
Ever wondered why you see flowers drying upside-down? Drying them upside-down helps them to keep their shape. Flowers which have dried standing upright will bend in all sorts of funny directions, so we suggest going the upside-down route. Be sure to dry your flowers in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight to keep them from discolouring in the sun.
The drying process can take a few days to a few weeks depending on humidity levels. When flowers are completely dry, store them flat and wrapped in paper. Expect the flowers to shrink and fade in colour to beautiful vintage hues.
Once you have dried your flowers you can display them in a vase similarly to how you display fresh cuts, or there are many different ways you can display them or use them in crafty ways. While a quick search on Google or Pinterest can give you all sorts of inspiration and ideas, fall is just around the corner and one of our favourite uses for dried flowers are beautiful, one-of-a-kind wreaths. They make a beautiful greeter on your front door, or can add a touch of the season to your indoor decor!