At the end of a special occasion like a wedding or anniversary, there’s no reason you have to stop enjoying the beauty of your floral arrangements. Instead of tossing your bouquet, why not dry and continue to enjoy it? Our Minneapolis florists at Schaaf Floral put together this quick and easy guide to preserving flowers from all of your special occasions.

Bouquet of Dried Roses

The Best Ways to Dry Flowers

The best way to dry flowers is to air dry them by hanging them upside down. First, remove the leaves and then tie the stems together with string. Hang your flowers upside down in a warm, dark room and wait for them to dry. This method of drying produces the most attractive results, but it’s also the slowest. Depending on the types of flowers and weather, air drying can take anywhere from several days to a few weeks.

Dried Flowers Hanging Upside Down

For faster results, you can add gentle heat to the process. You can dry flowers in the oven, which usually takes eight to twelve hours on low heat. Be sure to arrange flowers on a parchment-lined baking sheet so that they do not touch. Leave the oven door open to allow moisture to escape and evaporate.

With the right supplies, you can dry your flowers in just minutes in the microwave. First, you’ll need to trim your flowers’ leaves and any excess length of stem. Arrange the blooms in a microwave-safe container and cover them completely with silica sand. Put the container in the microwave with a cup of water and heat in 30-second intervals. Check the flowers’ progress, as you go, but most will be completely dry within two or three minutes.

Dried Pink Roses

On a warm, sunny day, you can also dry flowers in the trunk of a car. You’ll want to pick a day when you don’t plan on driving anywhere. Lay the flowers out on a sheet of parchment or wrap them up bouquet-style. Put them in the trunk of your car in the morning and expect them to be dry by sunset.

Whichever method you choose for drying your flowers, it’s essential that they be completely dry before you display them. Any remaining moisture in your blooms will cause them to rot. Dry flowers will have a texture similar to that of tissue paper.

How to Display Dried Flowers in Your Home

Butterfly Bouquet

The best part about drying a professionally arranged bouquet, like our Butterfly Bouquet, is that all the flowers it contains have already been preselected to complement each other, which takes the guesswork out of decorating with dried flowers. Once dried, you can either display a bouquet like this in a vase or pitcher or you can use it to create a classic home decor piece like a floral wreath. Another great option for special occasion flowers is to display them in a shadow box with other keepsakes from your big day.

Bouquet of Dried Flowers in Glass Vase

For more information about drying flowers and recommendations on the best types of flowers to dry, we welcome you to stop by Schaaf Floral.