Are you wondering how to preserve flower petals? Well, we could help you with that!
Today, we will show you the many ways to preserve the petals of your blooms. You read that right! We will show you more than one way, so you do not have to worry. You do not have to get stuck with one method. You can look for the best one for you!
We have plenty to talk about today, so let us go!
Picking the Best Petals to Be Preserved
The thing with preserving petals is that there is almost always the risk of things going wrong. There is the risk of over-drying, crumbling, molding, and many more. After all, we are dealing with one of nature’s most fragile beauties.
We cannot get rid of the risk entirely. However, we could lessen it, and one way to do that is to start right. You want to pick the best petals to preserve.
First, decide the purpose of preserving the petals. There are many ways you can use preserved petals. To name a few examples, you can use it for cooking or crafting. However, you have to be clear about where you will use the petals because you cannot employ all petals for everything.
For example, you might want to avoid petals from blooms you did not grow if the petals will be for consumption. That is because these floras might have harmful chemicals (e.g., pesticides) in them, making them unsafe to ingest. On the other hand, not all flowers are safe to eat in the first place.
Next, let us talk about the actual picking and choosing.
For best results, you want to go for floras in full bloom and catch these blooms before they wilt. Additionally, if you are getting the flowers from your garden, you want to avoid cutting the floras wet. However, if you cannot help it, gently drying the petals with a towel after could also work.
Only get the floras when you already need the petals. However, if that is not possible, keep the blooms in a vase until you are ready to use them. Make sure you place them in a shaded area and change the water daily, though!
Finally, while you can preserve any petals, you might want to avoid those with blemishes, damages, and such. These imperfections might not be obvious in the bloom, but they will likely be visible once the petals dry up.
The 6 Best Ways to Preserve Petals
Once you have your petals, you can start preserving them. Here are what we deem are the best ways to do so.
1. Use Books to Preserve the Petals
Depending on your goal, this method might be the best or worst one on the list. This one is the least risky and effortless method. However, it is also the one that takes the longest.
For this method, you need a heavy book and two pieces of paper.
First, you want to find the middlemost part of the book. After that, place one of your papers on one side and put your petals on top. Finally, place the other paper on the petals and close the book. To be sure, you might want to put something heavy on the book too.
If you have many petals, a single page might not be enough. It might be best to use several books, but if that is not possible, make sure you skip a few pages before repeating the process.
Any paper will do, but if you want to be sure the excess moisture will not ruin your book, you might want to opt for wax paper.
This method takes around a month, but you will likely end up with beautiful flat petals.
2. Use Air to Preserve the Petals
For this method, you need a flat tray or something similar. Something wide enough to hold all the petals but still allow for some space. If possible, something shallow too. This way, air could get to the petals easily. Additionally, you will also need some paper towels.
First, place enough paper towels to cover the tray. Next, you want to put your petals on top of the towels. Make sure you leave some space between each one.
After that, you want to find a dry place with good ventilation that does not have much sunlight (none if possible). A spot that is not in your way, hopefully, as you will be leaving your petals there!
Your petals might shrink and lose some color, but do not worry! It’s normal. It is crumbling and molding you want to look out for in this method.
This method takes around two to four weeks. Check-in with your petals every few days. If you notice molding, inspect all the petals and remove all those that already have mold. Change the tray and paper towels too, and continue the process. On the other hand, if the petals start to crumble, you might want to spray everything with a thin layer of hairspray.
3. Use Sand to Preserve the Petals
For this method, you need a container with a lid and some sand. First, you want to place a thin layer of sand on the bottom of the container. After that, you want to put your petals on top and cover it with more sand.
This method takes around two weeks, and you want to check in on your petals often. Otherwise, you might over-dry them. When it’s time to take out your petals, pour the contents of the container out instead of digging your petals out. This way, you lessen the risk of damaging your petals.
4. Use Silica Gels to Preserve the Petals
This one is similar to the sand method. For this one, you need an airtight container and some silica gels. Similar to the sand method, you want to place a thin layer of silica gel on the bottom, top it with some petals, and dump some more silica gel to sandwich the petals.
This method only takes around three days. However, like the sand method, you want to check on your petals often. Otherwise, you might over-dry them.
5. Use the Oven to Preserve the Petals
Do you not have much time and need some preserved petals now? Well, no worries. This method might be the best one for you. For this method, you need an oven, a tray, and a few pieces of parchment paper.
First, you want to place some parchment paper on your tray (make sure you also get the edges). After that, place your petals on top. Finally, place your tray in the oven, bake your petals at 275° F (do not forget to preheat your oven at the same temperature), and wait for around 10 minutes.
Note that this time is only an estimate. Keep a careful watch on your petals. Remember, you only want to preserve them, not cook them! Well, at least, not yet. Additionally, as you have seen in the video, you can change the temperature and time according to your needs.
After you deem your petals are dried up, take them out of the oven and let them cool down before you handle them.
6. Use the Microwave to Preserve the Petals
Our last one is the quickest way to preserve your petals. However, it is also the one that requires the most amount of effort.
For this one, you need two microwavable plates and a lot of paper towels.
First, cover the first plate with a paper towel and place your petals on top. After that, you want to cover the petals with a paper towel and close the top with the other plate. Finally, place the entire thing inside the microwave for a minute.
Once the minute is up, check your petals, and if they are not yet dried, repeat the process and put everything in the microwave for 30 seconds. Repeat until your petals are not yet dried up.
How Not to Preserve Flower Petals
Above, we showed you what we deem are the six best ways to preserve flower petals. Before you go, let us discuss the methods you might want to avoid.
Do Not Use the Sun to Preserve the Petals
Many equate air-drying with sun-drying. However, the two are different. While the sun can undoubtedly help you in drying your flowers, it is not the best way to go about this process. As you might have noticed, we have cautioned (multiple times) against exposing the petals to sunlight. That is because the sun can rid the petals of some things we are trying to preserve. Their color, for one.
Do Not Use Resin to Preserve the Petals
Unfortunately, preserving fresh flowers in resin does not work. While the finished product might look lovely, the bloom inside will eventually rot.
Summary
Are you still wondering how to preserve flower petals? Well, we hope not! Today, we showed you the steps and ways to preserve petals. You can use books, air, sand, silica gels, the oven, or the microwave.
As you have seen, each method has its ups and downs. However, we hope we got to help you find the best one for your needs! If you have any other concerns regarding blooms and floras, then feel free to give our other discussions a visit!