How To Dry Flowers

There are some ways to dry flowers; to press them, to hang them in the air, and to dry them using silica gel.
- Drying flowers by pressing them is usually done by putting flowers in the middle of newspaper folds, old phone book, or other thick book. You can do this way of drying for flowers with flat shape or thin stems and leaves, such as pansies or lilies. You can also use tissue or paper towels in between to cover the flowers, so that more moisture can be absorbed and result in more dried flowers. These tissues will also help your flowers from getting on newspaper ink. Make sure to put heavy bricks or similar objects above the newspaper folds or books to give more pressure. This kind of drying will take 2-4 weeks before the flowers are completely dried.

- Drying flowers by hanging them in the air, or air-drying, will give a flowers well preserved shapes. You can do this by tying the flowers using rubber bands or other strings on their stems, and then hang them upside down. Separate the flowers from other objects that may touch the flowers, because air-drying can cause flower petals or blossoms vulnerable and easily detached. The best place to dry flowers in the air is in a dark place that is not exposed to direct sunlight, as sunlight may cause fading colors of flowers petals, but has enough airflow and stable humidity. Air-drying process may take 2-3 weeks.

- Drying flowers using silica gel gives the best result of dried flowers. The dried flowers will still be in their original shapes and colors, and the process itself is very simple. Using silica gel to dry flowers can be divided into two methods: by heating the silica gel in a microwave oven and by storing the silica gel in an airtight container.

For the first method, first pour one to two inches of silica gel in a microwave-safe container. Then, place the flowers blossoms side up and cover the whole with more silica gel. Place the uncovered container in the microwave along with a cup of water to prevent excessive drying. Heat the container in the oven for 2-5 minutes, then remove it from the oven and let it cool. Do not try to take the flowers out of the silica gel before the silica gel gets cool, because the heat can burn your hands. Clean the remains of silica gel from the petals and other parts of the flower with a soft brush.

The second method is almost identical to the first method, except that silica gel is not heated in the microwave oven, but only placed in the container with airtight lid. This method will take one week to result in completely dried flowers. Prolong of drying process may cause the flowers' color change due to excessive drying. After being used, you can put the silica gel in a baking pan and bake it in an oven so that it will be dried again.