If you have ever admired pressed flower artwork, you may also have wondered how do they do that? There is something otherworldly and mysterious about pressed flowers that make people think they are hard to create. But in fact, it is pretty simple. It does take a bit of practice, but when you get it right, it is well worth the wait. In this quick guide, we will share the key steps you need to follow to press your flowers. Whether you have had a special bouquet of flowers delivered that you want to keep for sentimental reasons, or you just found a beautiful flower while you were out walking and want to remember the moment, creating pressed flowers is a lovely hobby. And we are sure that once you start, you will quickly become addicted and will be pressing flowers from all over.
It is also a very well established pastime, having been practised for over 5000 years. Pressed flowers have been used as artwork, as decorating materials, as gifts, and to help identify different species of flowers. So whether you are a botanist, decorator, or crafter, you will be in a good flower-pressing company. But how do you do it? Let’s get started.
First up, you need to find the right flower. There are a lot of different flowers that make ideal pressings, those with big, bold petals are ideal such as pansies. Those with a very distinct shape are also great options, such as daisies. When you are starting, you may also want to choose flatter blooming flowers such as poppies as they are slightly easier to press. However, any flower can be pressed using the right technique. Also, think about the colours of your flowers. As any florist knows, mixing and matching colours is what brings a display to life. And while you might not be creating a flower delivery in the traditional sense, odds are you will want to create something out of your pressed flowers, such as an artwork, and you will want a complementing mix of colours to bring out the full effect.
You can buy proper flower pressing kits from craft stores, and some flower shops even sell them too. But if you want to keep it low key and low budget, then you just need some absorbent paper, which can be bought from craft stores, or you can use coffee filters or a kitchen towel. You will also need a heavy book to press your flowers and a few more books to place on top of that. You will probably want some tweezers too as the flowers will be very delicate after pressing, and handling them with your fingers can damager or break them. And don’t forget something to show it off in such as a frame or card.
Lay out your flower as desired within the paper, in your book, and close the book. Leave for several months for it to really dry out. If you are after a quicker fix, you can do a fast press using the microwave - just put your flowers in the absorbent paper, put something heavy (and microwave safe) on top and zap it for a couple of minutes (exact time will depend on the flower you are pressing). Top tip: with either option, don’t push down on your pressing object as this will break your flowers. They will flatten out on their own.
Show it off - this is the fun bit. Gather your pressed flowers together, and arrange them on a backing paper. Then put it into a frame, or laminate it, or create a card out of it. There are loads of ways to show off your beautifully pressed flower, have a brainstorm to see what you can come up with.
