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PRESSED
FLOWERS
With an almost magical power,
pressed flowers weave a tapestry
through our lives. They enhance the
present, they evoke the past, and
leave us with sentimental thoughts.
They embellish good times and offer
comfort in sadder ones, punctuating
every celebration in our lives. From
weddings, anniversaries, births, the
passing of a loved one, retirement,
to Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day,
pressed flowers give us life long
memories of the event, and continue
to enrich our lives.
Most everyone has at some
time pressed flowers or leaves
in a book. Anyone fortunate
enough to have discovered a
four-leafed clover probably
pressed it and kept in a most
sacred place. The method of
pressed flowers has been in
existence since the Victorian
era. There are books dating from
Victorian times in which the
entire Alpine flora has been
preserved. In addition to
pressed flowers old herbaria
from all parts of the world are
still in existence.
For collecting flowers, start
as soon as the first buds appear
in your garden or the woods and
fields. During the growing
season do it around noon on a
dry, sunny day. There is less
moisture in the leaves and stems
at this time. Therefore, the
material dries quicker. Take any
flower, plant or foliage which
you think will look well in a
frame being careful, not to
break any conservation laws.
Cut each flower at its peak
of bloom. A flower past its peak
will not retain its natural
color well through pressing.
Always cut several stems and
leaves plus a bud or two. At
home and on vacation continue to
cut and press through autumn
leaves and winter evergreens.
Then you will have an
interesting and plentiful supply
of pressed plants to work with.
Press the flowers immediately
after bringing them inside.
Place the flowers on a sheet of
absorbent blotting paper, so
they are not touching and not
too many on a page. It is best
to keep identical flowers on the
same page. Place another sheet
of blotting paper on top of the
flowers.
Begin at the back of a large
old telephone book. Place the
sandwiched flowers approximately
½ inch from the back of the
book. Allow another ½ inch, and
place another sheet of the
sandwiched flowers. Continue in
this manner to fill the phone
book. Stack the phone books on
top of one another, no more than
three or four books. The weight
of the books will help to
flatten the flowers. After a
couple days you need to switch
the phone books so that the one
on top can be placed on the
bottom. Also, you can check to
see if the pressed flowers are
drying and that no mould has
formed. For roses, tulips, and
lilies, even a carnation, you
can take the petals apart and
press them individually, making
sure the petals are not folded
or wrinkled on the pages.
The time required for drying
pressed flowers depends on the
type of flower. Petals will dry
in three to four days. Also,
thin-petaled flowers like
pansies or cosmos will dry in
four to five days, while a thick
flower such as a lupine may take
at least two weeks. You can be
sure pressed flowers are dry if
it does not feel cold when you
hold it in the palm of your
hand. Also, the stems become
brittle when completely dry. As
the pressed flowers dry take
them out of the telephone books
and place in them labeled
containers, either clear
plastic, or old shoe boxes work
well.
When working with pressed
flowers, you will discover how
much can be done with a just a
few pressed flowers, ferns and
grasses. Most all flowers can be
pressed, but the color becomes
deeper and richer. The grasses
can be curved and shaped on the
page to give a more desirable
shape.
 Pressed flowers should always
be glued to a background. A
white glue that dries clear
works best. First arrange your
pressed flowers in the design
desired. Remember the pressed
flowers are very fragile. After
creating your design, smear a
thin layer of glue with a fine
paint brush on the back of the
pressed flowers. A minimal
amount of glue is necessary,
being careful not to get any on
your background. Let the glue
dry for at least 24 hours. Then
cover your pressed flowers with
glass and frame in a beautiful
rich wood frame. If you are
fortunate to have antique frames
in your family all the better.
Or if you are creating bookmarks
or greeting cards you need to
cover your pressed flowers with
a cold lamination process.
You may also try combining
your pressed flowers with dried
flowers or freeze-dried flowers
to make your designs more
interesting. You can choose the
colors of your pressed flowers,
the background and frame, which
can harmonize with the colors of
your room where it is to hang.
Discovering your hidden
talent in pressed flowers may
take some time. But the real
enjoyment comes in the entire
process from picking the flowers
to pressing, and finally
designing your masterpiece.
Experimenting is all part of
the creative process and fun in
making pressed flowers designs.
So let your imagination take you
on an exciting adventure, from
exploring distant fields, and
discovering unusual material, to
the infinite ways of designing
your pressed flower works of
art. The most rewarding of all,
is sharing your beautiful
creations with your friends, and
family allowing you to enrich
the lives around you.
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