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You are here: Home / Projects / How To Press Flowers Perfectly | Homesteading Skills

How To Press Flowers Perfectly | Homesteading Skills

Reading Time: 4 minutes

May 13, 2024 By Pioneer Settler Contributor 9 Comments

Did you know there’s more than one way to press flowers? If you have a flower garden and would love to see your beauties all the time, why not preserve them by pressing? I’ve listed three ways to press flowers perfectly, and I can’t wait for you to try all of them!

Know-How To Press Flowers For Your Arts And Crafts

From decorating your scrapbook to designing wedding invitations, pressed flowers are the way to add an extra special touch to any DIY project. But were you still waiting weeks for your flowers to dry out in an old book? Our three easy tutorials will “leaf” you inspired to create! So now, let’s get ready perfectly press some petals!

Tips To Press Flowers Effectively

  • Choose naturally flat flowers, like daisies, pansies, violas, and miniature daffodils.
  • Choose perfect flowers with no holes or discoloration – we only want the best!
  • Pressed flowers are extremely fragile. Handle with care!
  • Use makeup oil blotting paper to help soak up moisture and insert a sheet on top of your flowers before you press to get the best results.
  • Let your flowers have their space! When laying out flowers, make sure they are not overlapping each other in the press, or else you will get one glob of petals.

Now Let’s Get Started!

Want to craft something cute in a flash? This flower pressing method is the method for you! In only minutes, you have some beautiful pressed flowers that are craft ready when you are!

Supplies needed:

  • Iron
  • Ironing board
  • Paper sheets
  • fresh flowers and leaves

 

Step 1:

Place flowers on paper

Cover flower with paper

Lay heavy book

Lay a sheet of paper down on your ironing board. Place flowers on top and cover with another sheet of paper. Lay heavy hardcover book on top. Try not to slide the book as this may damage the flowers. Instead, push down on the book and wait for 2-3-minutes.

Step 2:

Iron the flowers

Remove the book, but keep flowers on the paper. Take out iron and remove any water if it’s a steamer kind. Set the iron to the lowest heat setting (or dry, if your iron has it). Gone are the old days of waiting days for pressed flowers to dry. Irons turn fresh flowers into pressed flowers within minutes! Place iron down on paper and press.

Hold for 10 seconds, remove, and repeat this process across the sheet. Do NOT drag across like you do on clothing. This will damage both your flowers and your paper. Instead, remove flowers slowly to prevent tearing and set them aside on another clean sheet of paper.

Iron Pressed Flowers

And that’s it!

Pressing Flowers With A Flower Press

Have some more time to invest in creating perfectly flat flowers? Try a flower press – easy to make and use. Flowers are ready to be used after 24 hours in the press.

Supplies:

  • 2 7” x 7” wood squares
  • Scrap cardboard
  • Four screws, washers, wing nuts
  • Sheets of paper or blotting paper
  • Fresh flowers and leaves
  • Power drill
  • 5/32” drill bits

Step 1:

Measure the edges
image via instructables

First, cut or purchase two identical pieces of wood, and measure about 1” in from the edge of your wood corners with a pencil.

Step 2:

Drill

Add the knots and bolts
image via instructables

Drill over your pencil marks through both boards at about 1″ in from the corner on all four sides. Place washers on the bolts and slide the bolts up through the bottoms of both squares. Make sure to add wingnuts on top to tighten and loosen your press easily.

Step 3:

Take cardboard
image via gardenista

Take some scrap cardboard that is roughly the same size as your press. Trim off corners of cardboard, so they do not interfere with the bolts of your flower press.

 

Step 4:

Flower press
image via fine gardening

Take your flowers and lay them out how you like on plain paper. Next, insert your flowers between your cardboard sheets and use the wingnuts to tighten and press. After 24 hours, you will have perfectly pressed flowers!

binder
image via country living

 

Pressed Flowers With Wax Paper

This next method of pressing flowers is perfect for lightweight flowers. Once completed, you will have a translucent flower sheet that adds rustic dimension to any craft project.

Supplies:

  • Iron
  • Ironing board
  • Wax paper sheets
  • Paper towels
  • Small fresh flowers and leaves (small daisies or orchids)

 

Step 1:

Put wax paper on top
image via homeheartcraft

The steps for this process are similar to pressing flowers with an iron. Just replace the paper with two sheets of wax paper sandwiching your flowers.

Step 2:

Iron wax paper
image via homeheartcraft

Take some paper towels and lay them on top of your wax paper, then press down with your iron for 10 seconds at a time. You will have a sealed translucent sheet filled with flowers in only a few minutes!

Finished pressed flowers
image via homeheartcraft

 

Did you know you can also press flowers in a microwave? See how in this video:

Wasn’t pressing flowers easy enough? It can be intimidating at first, but it gets easy after knowing all the methods and options. I’m sure you’ll want to try making some yourself.

What was your favorite method to press flowers? Let me know below in the comments!

 

Filed Under: Projects, Crafts

Comments

  1. Deepthi says

    July 4, 2019 at 11:17 PM

    Thank you so much for the info… liked the way you covered all the poinrs, can’t wait to give it a try
    N you do look tbin n beautiful..
    Regards
    Deepthi

    Reply
    • HANNAH SOFEA BINTI MOHD AZHAR says

      June 6, 2021 at 4:39 AM

      Which step did you use ?

      Reply
  2. robinsnestof5 says

    July 23, 2021 at 12:46 PM

    I use a flower press, and also some thick books with more books on top. I have recently tried the microwave and my flowers turned out great! But I don’t have a microwave in my house, so had to go out to the camper to do it. Lol. Now I want to try my iron! Thanks for the great post!

    Reply
  3. Christine Morrissey says

    June 30, 2023 at 2:23 PM

    I ❤️this!!
    Wonderful DYI pounding your own flowers.
    A unique way to feature your artwork.
    As a gift or for sale. Antique or traditional.
    So much to say.
    I’ll just share
    Ty for sharing.😉🌸❤️

    Reply

Trackbacks

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