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    Home » All Natural

    June 17, 2022

    How to Press Flowers (Easiest way for beginners)

    How to press flowers for arts and crafts
    Ways to press flowers

    Even if you're a beginner at pressing flowers, this easy-to-follow tutorial will guide you through how to press flowers step-by-step. Pressing flowers is easy, and there are so many beautiful craft projects in which you can use them. From this beginner tutorial, you'll learn how to press flowers into a book, how to press large flowers, and how to turn pressed flowers into flower art, greeting cards, keepsakes of special occasions, and more!

    If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll already know that I'm a big fan of flower pressing. Some of my favorite craft projects using pressed flowers include these paper lanterns and these glass jar lanterns. I also never get fed up with looking at the framed floral wall art I made with delicate meadow flowers either.

    I get so many questions regarding my pressed flower projects that it occurred to me that I've never made a tutorial for pressing flowers. Well, in this post, you'll learn everything you need to know about pressing flowers at home.

    Table of contents
    • Teaching children to press flowers
    • The best way to press flowers
    • Do you press flowers dry or wet?
    • What is the best flower to press?
    • Can you press big flowers?
    • How to store flowers for pressing
    • How to press flowers into a book
    • How long do pressed flowers take to dry?
    • Can you press flowers with an iron?
    • Different ways to press flowers
    • How to make a simple wooden flower press
    • Using flower press kits
    • Pressing flowers with a microwave press
    • The easiest way to press flowers (For beginners)
    • What to make with pressed flowers
    • Conclusion
    • FAQ
    • You may also like:

    Teaching children to press flowers

    Some of my fondest childhood memories involve crafting in some way or another. I'm so happy that my boys seem to have inherited a love for crafting too. When they were little, my boys and I spent hours crafting together at the kitchen table.

    Herbarium Project

    When they were asked to create a collection of herbarium sheets for a school project, my boys saw it as an adventure.

    One Saturday, we loaded up the car with boots, some gardening gloves, secateurs, and buckets of water and headed out to marshes. Throughout the morning, we collected all sorts of wild flowers and the boys found no end of 'cool' creepy crawlies to observe! Back at home, we unpacked our 'treasures' and went straight to work pressing flowers to create the herbarium sheets. It was a great opportunity for me to teach them both the easiest way to press flowers for creative projects.

    Crafting memories

    Now that my boys are older, I cherish those memories and I know that the bond we forged through creativity will never dissipate.

    The tutorial I'm sharing today is the same tutorial that I used to teach my boys how to press flowers all those years ago. It worked for them and it will work for you too, as long as you follow the tips below for getting the best results. (Also see the FAQ at the end of this post for more information).

    The best way to press flowers

    Before we start with the tutorial, there are a few tips to help you get the best results from your pressed flowers.

    Do you press flowers dry or wet?

    Always choose dry flowers for pressing. If you are picking fresh blooms from the garden, pick them on a sunny day after the morning dew has completely evaporated. If you try to press flowers whilst they are still wet, they may end up going moldy and will be useless for your project.

    What is the best flower to press?

    The easiest flowers to press are those with a single layer of petals. Love In A Mist, Pansies, Wild Roses, Violas, Calendula, and Daisies are all good choices. That doesn't mean that you are restricted to using just this type of flower. For this tutorial, I'm using some flower heads from a bouquet of fresh flowers from the grocery store together with some garden flowers.

    Experiment and have fun. You'll soon learn which are the best flowers for pressing and which ones to avoid.

    Tip: Sometimes even flowers with flat blooms and a single layer of petals will come apart after pressing. I recommend using a pair of tweezers to pick up and reconstruct the delicate flower petals for use in your craft project.

    Can you press big flowers?

    Thicker flowers with lots of layers of petals may need to be cut in half before pressing. Press both halves of the bloom separately and reconstruct it after the drying process is complete.

    Because of their high water content and the thickness of the flowers, large flowers with fleshy petals are not suitable for pressing.

    How to store flowers for pressing

    Keep flower stems in a vase of fresh water until you are ready to press them. Cutting the flower stems at an angle allows the flower to take up more water so that they will keep fresh before pressing. Remove any leaves and plant material below the water line to avoid the water becoming slimy.

    How to press flowers into a book

    Pressing flowers into a book is the absolute easiest way to press flowers. My boys used the book pressing method to press the flowers they collected for their herbarium projects and it worked like a dream.

    Supplies needed for flower pressing

    • Fresh flowers
    • Sheets of white paper or craft paper
    • Heavy books

    Instructions

    Step 1: Cut flower heads to size with secateurs or scissors or trim flower stems to the length required. (Choose a book big enough to fit the length of the flower stem).

    Cutting flower stems to size ready for pressing
    Cut flower stems to size reading for pressing into a book

    Step 2: Open up a large book and place a piece of paper inside.

    Step 3: Place each flower face down on the paper. Leave some space between the flowers to avoid them overlapping and sticking together.

    Flowers spaced out on a book ready for pressing
    Make sure flowers don't overlap when pressing them into a book

    Step 4: Cover the flowers with another piece of paper.

    Covering up flowers with paper ready for pressing
    Cover flowers with white paper ready for pressing

    Tip: If you have more flowers to press, instead of continuing to add pieces of paper and flowers on the same page, I recommend leaving a few pages of the book in between layers.

    Step 5: Once all of your flowers are between layers of paper, carefully close the book.

    Step 6: Place the book in a warm dry place out of direct sunlight.

    Step 7: Place a heavy item (or a stack of books) on top of the book.

    How long do pressed flowers take to dry?

    Drying time will vary between two to three weeks. After they've been drying for a couple of weeks, check the pressed flowers to see whether they are dry enough. Depending on the water content of the flowers you've used, you might need to replace the paper although, I've never had to do that myself.

    Once the flowers have completely dried out, they are ready to use for crafting.

    Can you press flowers with an iron?

    Yes, but I don't recommend pressing flowers with an iron. I tried this method and found that the flowers tended to look squashed and bruised. If you are in a rush, pressing flowers with an iron first may speed up the drying process before pressing flowers in a book.

    How to press flowers with an iron

    Step 1: Set the iron on medium heat (no steam).

    Step 2: Place the flowers between two sheets of absorbent paper on a hard surface (tabletop ironing board).

    Step 3: Gently press the iron on top of the upper sheet of paper at intervals of a few seconds. Do not move the iron back and forth as the flowers may get damaged.

    Step 4: After pressing flowers with an iron, continue to the book method for pressing flowers.

    pressing flowers with an iron
    Pressing flowers with an iron

    Different ways to press flowers

    Now that you've learned how to press flowers into a book, let's take a look at some of the different methods of pressing flowers.

    How to press flowers in a flower press

    Pressing flowers in a wooden flower press is very similar to pressing them in a book. The difference is that instead of having to place a heavy object on top of the press, pressure is applied to flowers in a flower press using bolts and wing nuts.

    How to make a simple wooden flower press

    You can easily make a flower press from left-over pieces of wood.

    Supplies

    • Pieces of cardboard
    • 2 equal-sized pieces of wood
    • Pieces of white paper (see FAQ below for more info on the best choices of paper)
    • Bolts x 4
    • Washers x 4
    • Wing nuts x 4

    Step 1: Line up the wood and drill holes in each corner big enough for the bolt to go through.

    Step 2: Cut pieces of cardboard and paper to fit the size of the wooden press. Don't forget to leave space for the bolt holes.

    Step 3: Place a piece of cardboard onto the base of the press.

    Step 4: Top the cardboard layer with a piece of paper.

    Step 5: Place a second sheet of paper on top of the first.

    Step 6: Continue adding cardboard and paper in layers until the wooden press is as thick as you want it to be.

    Step 7: Finish with a cardboard layer.

    Step 8: Push the bolts through the holes and tighten them with wing nuts.

    Your homemade flower press is ready to be filled with a variety of flowers or leaves.

    Using flower press kits

    If you don't want to make a flower press yourself, you might consider getting a ready-made flower press kit. Flower presses are inexpensive to buy, come in all sorts of designs, and can even be personalized with your name.

    Below, you can see some of my favorite flower press kits to buy. Flower presses also make great gifts for the crafty people in your life.

    A note about the listed products: If you order a product from one of the partners via links on this page, I receive a small commission. I only recommend products that I have already used myself or have selected with care. You pay the same price whether you use my affiliate links or not. Please read my full disclosure here.

    Pressing flowers with a microwave press

    Did you know you can press flowers in a microwave oven? With the Microfleur Max, you can do just that. After adding your flowers to the Microfleur Max, place it in the microwave. With the oven on a low setting, microwave the flowers for a short length of time. Check the flowers and allow time for resting/airing in between short bursts of time in the microwave.

    Using a microwave press is a good method if you need pressed flowers in a rush. You'll know immediately how the flowers turn out and can quickly grab some more from the garden if you've accidentally 'overcooked' them.

    ★★★ Get 10% off Microfleur products by using my code CHALKINGUP10! at checkout! REDEEM YOUR DISCOUNT HERE ★★★

    Tip: You can also use a book to press flowers in a microwave. For your safety, be sure to check that the book has no metal parts (check the spine) before using it in a microwave oven.

    The easiest way to press flowers (For beginners)

    In my opinion, the best way to press flowers is the book method as hardly any supplies are needed plus the flowers retain their color nicely. The book pressing method is definitely the easiest way for beginners to press flowers.

    A flower press also does a great job of pressing flowers, looks pretty and there's not much chance of losing your flowers or forgetting where they are!

    Although I've never tried it myself, pressing flowers with a microwave looks like another simple way to press flowers. The only downsides are the price (If using the Microfleur Max) and the risk of scorching delicate flower petals. Alternatively, if you plan on making lots of projects with pressed flowers, the Microfleur Max would be a good investment. (Maybe you could add it to your Birthday/Christmas wish list).

    A selection of pressed flowers inside a book
    Single-layer flowers (L) press better than thicker flowers (R)

    What to make with pressed flowers

    Pressing flowers is a beautiful way of preserving summer blooms. Some great craft projects you can make with pressed flowers include:

    Paper lanterns

    Framed floral wall art

    Glass luminaries

    Conclusion

    Whether you're just looking to preserve your beautiful blooms or some flowers from a special occasion pressing flowers is easy and fun! There's no end to the craft projects you can make with your beautifully pressed flowers.

    I hope you enjoyed learning how to press flowers with me today and hopefully I've inspired you to have a go at it yourself.

    Have more questions? If they are not covered in the FAQ below, let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them.

    FAQ

    Which type of paper should I use for pressing flowers?

    Plain white paper, craft paper or blotting paper are all good for pressing flowers into a book. Avoid absorbent paper towels as their perforated pattern transfers to the pressed flowers. Wax paper and parchment paper are not absorbent enough and may cause pressed flowers to become moldy. Tissue paper is too thin and may disintegrate during the drying process.

    Can I press flowers directly into a book?

    Unless you are using an old book that you don't mind getting stained, I would not recommend pressing flowers directly into the pages of a book. Using sheets of absorbent paper to hold the flowers is a great way to avoid staining book pages.

    How long do pressed flowers last?

    Pressed flowers will last a long time after pressing. I press the beautiful blooms from my garden as they come into flower to use in craft projects throughout the year. It's always a treat for me to come across pressed flowers that I'd forgotten all about.

    How to store pressed flowers

    Store pressed flowers in a cool place in a folder (laid flat) or in a container placed on a flat surface.

    Pin this tutorial
    Ways to press flowers
    Easiest ways to press flowers
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    You may also like:

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    How to make glass jar lanterns
    A display of pressed flower wall art in black frames.
    DIY framed floral wall art 3 ways

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    1. Janet says

      June 17, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      I’ve always loved your pressed flower crafts. Thanks for sharing such a detailed tutorial so I can try pressing myself.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        June 24, 2022 at 4:12 pm

        Thanks, Janet! You'll love pressing flowers, you can use them for so many beautiful crafts!

        Reply
    2. Kim | Shiplap and Shells says

      June 18, 2022 at 8:41 pm

      I love this so much, Jayne! I can't wait to try to press my own flowers this summer. I would love to feature you on my Saltwater Sounds post this Sunday morning.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        June 24, 2022 at 4:11 pm

        Thanks Kim! I'm so glad you liked the post. Sorry this answer is late, I was in the mountains and managed to fracture my foot!

        Reply
    3. Sara says

      July 04, 2022 at 8:46 pm

      I used to use a telephone book to press flowers until my husband tossed it in the recycling. I'll have to make a proper press :).

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        July 05, 2022 at 1:32 pm

        Oh, no, what a shame! But, yes, I think making a flower press is the best overall. At least you always know where the flowers are then!

        Reply
    4. Marie says

      July 05, 2022 at 8:19 am

      I used to do the book method as a kid! I recently tried it but haven't checked on my results... It's sweet to hear your boys still enjoy crafting 🙂

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        July 05, 2022 at 1:29 pm

        I recently found some lovely pressed flowers that I forgot I'd pressed! Found them in a stack of magazines!

        Reply
    5. Lynne Zemaitis says

      July 08, 2022 at 9:36 pm

      I love this, Jayne! I have always wanted to press flowers and now am inspired to give it a try. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        July 09, 2022 at 2:49 pm

        So glad you found my beginner flower pressing tutorial helpful, Lynne! Thanks for commenting!

        Reply

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