Drying flowers is a fun project for all ages. There are many occasions for drying flowers.
Daisy Day and
Carnation Day are in January, then comes
Valentines Day,
Flower Day is in May, birthdays, or anytime you receive flowers. Go on a nature walk in the
spring and gather wildflowers, or purchase some at the local market. Your children will proudly display their finished project.
This project was done for a homeschool assignment and we had a lot of fun with it. This is my son's work.
Next - Materials Needed.
You will need 4 different kinds of flowers with 6 to 8 blossoms, stems, and leaves. Try to collect flowers from outside, if you can't then visit a flower shop. I purchased these flowers at the grocery store.
You will also need the following:
- scissors with rounded or blunt tips
- basket or large grocery bag
- several sheets of newspaper
- ruler
- string
- closet clothes rod or laundry drying rack
- two 8" long pieces of 1/2" wide satin ribbon
- 2 small vases
Once you've chosen your flowers and gathered the materials, you're ready to get started -
Sorting the Flowers.
Beverly Hernandez
Spread newspaper over your work area. Carefully separate and sort the flowers into bunches.
Next - Tie the Bunches Together.
Cut a piece of string about 8 inches long for each bouquet. Tie a string around the stems of each bouquet so that the string is tight enough to hold the bunch together, but not so tight that it cuts into the stems.
Next - Hanging the Flowers to Dry.
Use the ends of the string to hang the bouquets, blossom side down, in a warm, dry place. The clothes rod in a closet works perfectly, but it needs to be a place that won't be disturbed too much. Give the bouquets enough space so they are not touching each other.
Allow 4 weeks to dry (this is the hard part).
After flowers have dried, you're ready to arrange the flowers.
After the blossoms have dried, untie the bouquets and carefully spread them on more sheets of newspaper. Handling the flowers gently and as little as possible, arrange them how you want them.
Next - The Finishing Touches.
Tie each arrangement with a piece of string. Cut off the dangling ends of string. Wrap a piece of ribbon around each bouquet to cover the string, and tie the ribbon in a bow.
Place the arrangements in small vases and display or give as a gift.
