About Pressing Flowers

Pressing flowers is a fun and easy to do project. Doing this to your favorite summer flowers allows you to look at them and enjoy them all winter long, it also a wonderful way to preserve memories. You do not need any special equipment, just some books, cardboard, newspaper and sheets of tissue paper. You can also buy a flower press from the craft store.

• Flowers for pressing should be picked early in the day, after the dew has gone. Flowers that are just beginning full bloom should be chosen. Be sure the flowers and leaves are dry before attempting to press them. Work with them as soon after picking as possible.


• You should lay flowers and leaves flat and not have any parts overlapping. Place the flowers between sheets of tissue which will be placed on top of newspaper covered cardboard. Place the cardboard and papers with the flower inside a book. Lay heavy books over the book with the flowers. You will need about twenty pounds of weight on top of the flowers to press them.


• It takes about 2 to 4 weeks for the flowers to be done.


• If you want to have your flowers pressed faster, microwave flower presses are available at craft stores. The flowers will be done in anywhere from a few hours to a day.


• Pressed flowers can be used for various craft projects. Many people use them on greeting cards, they also work well with decoupage.


• When you are starting out with flower pressing choose flowers such as violets, pansies and geraniums. Flat faced single layer flowers are easiest and beginners do well with them. More complex flowers like roses are more difficult. It will take more experience to get good results with them.