Drying Flowers to Put in a Shadow Box

Q: Can you tell me how to go about drying flowers to put in a shadow box? I'd like to do my own design work but I don't know how to dry the flowers.



A: We can dry them for you. If you'd like to send us your flowers, we'll freeze dry them and return them to you. Freeze drying is, by far, the best way to preserve flowers intact. It's a lengthy process but the results are worth the wait. I know there are some silica products on the market. From what I've heard, the results are inconsistent. Why take a chance? You could also use the old fashioned air drying method. Your flowers will shrink and the colors will change. They will also be very fragile and difficult to work with. Also, not all flowers can be air dried. Many will just shrivel up and become very unattractive.

Dried Flower Ideas

Q: Do you have any ideas for dried flowers? I know you make shadowboxes and such...but is there anything else...more unusual?

A: Yes. We have several ideas for you. I'm not sure if your looking for yourself...a personal gift...or a gift for someone else. One of our Keepsake Balls, personalized with a special message or a name, would be very unique. Also, our Glass Bowl is something special. It can be placed vertually anywhere in the home...used as a centerpiece...on a dresser...practically anywhere. It looks like a fresh garden of flowers. The good news is...it takes no care.

Dry Flower Gift

Q: I'm looking for a dry flower gift. My sister just loves flowers...but she's too frail now to care for them. What do you suggest?

A: We have many dry flower gift ideas on the website. The one that comes to mind that might be perfect for your sister is our Glass Bowl. You could send us flowers to be freeze dried (perhaps she has received birthday flowers) or we could create a beautiful indoor garden for her with our stock of freeze dried flowers. Either way, she's sure to enjoy her flower gift every day.

Types of Flowers in Jewelry?

Q. - Can I use any type of flower for the rose petal jewelry?

A. - We use only crushed rose petals and create perfectly shaped beads for a bracelet, necklace, earrings, or a rosary. These jewelry items make great gifts and keepsakes. They can be enjoyed for many years as a memorial tribute for a lost loved one or a celebration of a special event, such as a wedding or the birth of a baby. Just save your roses and send them to us. We'll do the rest.

Preserving Yellow Roses

Q. - I have a yellow rose that I got at a concert last night. I would like to preserve it.


A. - Yellow roses freeze dry beautifully, regardless if they are open or closed. They look like fresh flowers.

We have a number of items that include yellow roses that you can browse for ideas on how best to display your rose. Our "Texas Wildflowers" selection might be of interest to you.

We also have a nice example of what to do with a single yellow rose preserved in a hanging ball ornament.

Preserving Calla Lilies?

Q. I know the different techniques for preserving flowers, but which method works best for calla lilies?

A. Calla Lilies are preserved best by freeze drying, which is the state of the art method for flower preservation. The flowers keep their natural shape and color. They look like fresh flowers.We mount them in a shadowbox which creates a beautiful keepsake which you'll be proud to display in your home. You might also consider a floral collage of calla lilies as a gift for someone special.

We have an example of a Shadow box including Calla Lilies.

White stargazer lily and a quote in shadowbox frame.

Q - I would like to preserve a white stargazer lily from my fathers funeral spray and add a quote in the shadowbox frame.

A - Our specialty is freeze drying flowers, and we also press them to create exquisite memorial tributes.

Your white stargazer lily would make a beautiful keepsake. Here is an example of how white stargazers freeze dry.




Here is an example of a smaller shadowbox with a red stargazer lily (when freeze dried they turn slightly purple) .






We can also create a personalized nameplate with a quote on it.

I am trying to create posies for a historical re-enactment event.

Q.- I would like to use native flowers, trees, & shrubs from our area. I am interested to see if you can freeze dry the following so that they could be made into posies afterward by the event attendees:

• Dogwood( on or off stem),
• azaleas( on or off stem?),
• small pine twigs ( 6 inches in length)
• oak leaves,
• bluebonnets,
• magnolia flowers,
• musk rose,
• jasmine,
• sweet basil,
• ivy,
• dwarf sunflowers,
• carnations, and
• gardenias.

A.- We specialize in freeze-drying flowers and arrangements. Dogwood, Azaleas, Jasmine, sunflowers, carnations and gardenias should freeze dry well, depending on their freshness. The jasmine and gardenias discolor and wilt very easily so they need to be freeze dried immediately. The greenery loses its color when freeze dried due to the extraction of the moisture. Therefore, we enhance the color afterwards.

You said you would want them freeze-dried first and then they will be arranged into bouquets afterward?

I think the only problem with that is the flowers are very fragile and prone to break after they've been freeze-dried and are Not pliable. Some are stronger than others such as the carnations and sunflowers. It is hard to make poesy arrangements with freeze-dried flowers because of the fact that they can break off their stems so easily. It is not impossible, but it takes a lot of practice, time and experience working with freeze-dried flowers.

I'd like to recommend that you have the posies made up first and then freeze-dry them, OR the flowers can be freeze-dried individually and arranged into a vase or bowl instead of binding them together in a poesy shape. Also, mounting the dried flowers in a shadowbox, would make a beautiful decorative piece, or you may, also, rest the dried flowers on a easel.

Do exotic flowers freeze dry well?

Q.- My fiancé and I are getting married in Hawaii, and I am carrying exotics in my bouquet. I would like to have my bouquet preserved, probably in a shadowbox. Do exotic flowers freeze dry well?

A.- Ginger, Bird of Paradise, orchards, and lilies freeze dry exceptionally well. They make a beautiful arrangement in a shadowbox keepsake. You can surround your freeze dried flowers around a beautiful photo taken on the beach, or recreate your wedding bouquet in the shape you carried. You will cherish the memories for years to come. We have an example of preserved exotic flowers in a shadowbox display for you to see.

Imagine your wedding bouquet of exotic flowers preserved alongside photographs of your honeymoon in that exotic and romantic location.