Grab a book, a daisy, and a cuppa. Discover how to press flowers. In one week you’ll open a secret garden that never fades.
How to Press Flowers: Hello, Petal!
Hello you gorgeous human! You’ve just rescued Tuesday’s rose or spotted the last violet peeping through the fence. Instead of waving goodbye, let’s tuck it into a book and give it immortality. Pressing flowers is my favourite slow craft: no glue guns, no stress, just quiet magic. Seven days from now you’ll lift the cover to find paper-thin treasures ready for cards, bookmarks, or Insta-worthy frames. Ready? Let’s do this.
Your “already-in-the-house” kit
- Fresh flowers (pansies, violets, ferns, anything flat and pretty)
- One chunky book (the Yellow Pages still earns its keep)
- Plain printer paper or coffee filters
- Scissors and tweezers
- A brick wearing a tea-towel scarf
Step 1 – The polite pick
- Snip on a dry afternoon, ideally 11-ish when the dew has scarpered.
- Flat faces are your friends: daisies, honesty pods, tiny leaves.
- Trim stems to 1 cm, wave bye-bye to chunky centres.
Step 2 – Build the flower sandwich
- Open the book to page 200 (middle is safest).
- Pop down a sheet of paper.
- Arrange blooms face-down, 3 cm apart, like they’re sunbathing.
- Top with another sheet.
- Close gently. No squashing allowed.
Step 3 – The book tower
- Slide your flower book into the middle of the stack.
- Pile on three more books or the brick in the tea-towel tuxedo.
- Park somewhere airy, away from radiators and nosy cats.
Step 4 – The 7-day countdown
- Day 1: quick peek to check nothing’s sulking.
- Day 3: swap damp paper for fresh (think of it as a sheet change).
- Day 7: hold your breath, lift the lid. If petals feel like crisp tissue and snap when bent, you’re golden.
Step 5 – The big reveal
Tweezers are your fairy wand. Lift each bloom, slide into a fresh paper envelope, and store flat until craft o’clock.
Cheat mode: Microwave in 48 hours
Sandwich flowers between two tiles + paper, zap 30 seconds on medium, cool, repeat twice. Weight overnight. Ta-da, last-minute birthday card sorted.
Ways to show off
- Float inside clear phone cases.
- Glue inside glass coasters.
- Scatter on brown-paper parcels tied up with string.
- Frame between glass panes for a sun-catcher that stops visitors in their tracks.
Gentle reminders
- Ask nicely before picking in parks.
- Skip rare wildflowers; plenty of daisies to go round.
- Wash hands after foxgloves (they’re drama queens).
FAQ:
Q: My rose went brown!
A: Press within the hour, petals only.
Q: Curly edges?
A: Tiny strip of parcel tape on the back before pressing.
Q: How long do they last?
A: Decades if you keep them from direct sun.
