Idea behind pressed flowers :
Pressed flowers are a beauty to look at and also make a wonderful gift for yourself or your loved ones.
Hence I am sharing some of the basics of flowers pressing which can help you to avoid the obvious mistakes and preserve these beauties closest to their natural state.
Things you need :
Flower /petals/leaves for pressing , book(s) , heavy object (to place on top of book ) ,sheet of paper (prefer blotting paper ; not essential ) .
Things to remember :
Ensure to press flowers right ahead
Carry a small , thin notebook which can hold the picked flowers for the time being as they are bound to wilt or get damaged in your hand or bag before you reach home and press them in a book .
Make sure the flowers are dry
If you don’t want to end up with a moldy piece ensure that the flower/leaves are free from any moisture, dirt and soil . If you are picking flowers from nearby then prefer to pick them during the day to avoid the morning dew.
Preserving the shape of pressed flowers
Unlike fresh flowers , the pressed flowers lie flat hence their aesthetics differ . You need to remember the final look of your preserved flower while you set them in a book.
For instance ,we generally preserve flower sideways but you can also explore pressing flowers face down. You can gently adjust the petals with your hand to get it right.
Full flowers press differently and you can try and see if you like the result or not. You can press just the petals of some big flowers .
Complimenting the pressed flowers
Along with flowers you can press leaves and grass as an add-on . When put together they tend to bring out the beauty of pressed flowers .
Count the days
Now all you need to do is put the flowers between two clean sheets of paper and put them inside a book and add a couple of heavy books or any heavy object on top .
Most flowers take 2-4 weeks to dry fully . Meanwhile ,try not to peek at them . Patience is rewarding for the pressing process.
Sunlight can affect your flowers while you press them hence keep them away from direct light . Also make sure the place is dry as humidity affects the pressing process.
Helpful hand of blotting paper
Although not necessary but to take better care of moisture you can keep a layer of blotting paper between the book pages and your flower . This helps in drying fuller flowers which have greater number of petals .
You can remove the tissue paper after 3-4 days and press the flower between two new sheets of paper.
Final look of pressed flower
Pressed flowers are bound to lose their color with time especially with exposure to direct sunlight . Hence the sealing process will help you to keep them intact for a little longer .
You can explore different options available ,the simplest method is to apply Mod Podge or watered down PVA glue over pressed flowers .
Tip :
As pressed flowers are fragile and brittle hence it is best to work with them using a pair of tweezers during and after the pressing process.
Now that all the basic points are covered please go ahead and try it at least once . You can experiment with pressing different flowers and frame them to decorate your walls .