Save Your Memories - Dry Your Roses

Although there are some things we wish could last forever or a moment we wish would never end, ultimately they do. The memory of the special event, however, can be preserved for us to recall and enjoy for a long time to come. Drying flowers is a simple and inexpensive way to preserve these cherished moments. There are multiple ways to use your flowers and preserve them for crafts and decorations. Whether they were a gift, or from a special day they can be made into something to enjoy long after that time has passed.

Dried flowers can be used for a variety of purposes. For a special event, such as a wedding, some people want to preserve their bouquets. After following drying instructions bouquets can be placed as a wall hanging next to the wedding photo, in a shadow box, or simply placed on a table or in a hutch. After flowers are dried they can also be put back in a vase and set on a table. If a single flower is preserved, perhaps to save on space, it can be laid over the wedding frame on in front of the wedding photo. Individually dried flowers can also be used when making a wreath. Flowers do not have to have special meaning, any flower that dries well can be used to make an arrangement. In addition to adding a variety of leaves, berries, ribbon or other embellishments, dried flowers look beautiful in a wreath. Sometimes less is more, if your wreath is not looking right, try lessening the amount of items in it.

Air drying is by far the easiest and cheapest method of drying flowers including roses. It is simple; all you have to do is follow these simple instructions. Start with perfect and unflawed roses on their stems. If the roses are not in perfect condition, they will wither and the petals will fall off. Remove any leaves that may be on the branches. Bunch them up together in a manner that lets them fan out. Tie the bottom with string or a rubber band. Hang them upside down in a dark, dry place for two to three weeks to be certain that they are completely dry.

The rose drying technique using sand requires a bit more effort, but works good. Cut a rose while it is at its best, and clip the stem so that about 1 inch is left. Be sure the leaves and stem are dry. This means no dew or other water. Put florists wire into the stem and into the head of the flower. Next locate an open deep box and start filling it with white sand till the roses can stand erect in the sand.

Now carefully start putting sand around the base, and over and under all of the petals. The object is to use the sand as a method to keep the shape of the rose. Continue filling the box with sand until every rose is enclosed. Move the sand and rose filled box to a dry place and leave it for 1 to 3 weeks. Be very careful when transferring dried roses, they are very fragile. With caution tilt the box to start emptying the sand. Hold onto all roses as they become free of the sand and keep going till all roses are sand free.

Flowers can also be preserved by being pressed. This method is simple and can be used for things you want to keep forever, or for special cards or invitations. Although you can buy kits to press, they can also be made by having several layers of cardboard stacked with flowers laid out on each sheet and then bound with adjustable straps that you can tighten to ensure a successful drying process. Pressed flowers are very versatile in their uses. When making wedding announcements a pressed flower of the wedding colors is a beautiful addition to the invitations. They can also be used to make cards or baby announcements. Another option for pressed flowers is to place them as a garden scene in an old window or frame. Glue them on a separate piece of glass, not part of the original frame, cut to the same size and then placed and secured to the frame. Any size can be attractive and used any where in a home, from a bathroom to bedroom. The flowers do not have to be the center of the picture, but can also be placed around a photo or poem on the mat. This is a wonderful way to incorporate the flowers to the event, but do it in a small, elegant way.

If you can find a way to preserve special memories they will bring joy for years. Although fresh flowers are beautiful, dried ones can be just as enjoyable. By finding various ways to use your flowers, you will be surrounded by your memories and remember those happy times when life might be more difficult.