Drying Flowers

Hello all,

Has anyone had experience or comment on these flower drying products?

Flower Drying Silica Gel Crystals
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?page=48083&category=2%2C2080&SID=&ccurrency=2

Or the traditional kind: Lee Valley Microwave Flower Presses
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?page=10208&category=2,2080,33076&abspage=1&ccurrency=2&SID=

Thanks in advance.

I've used the silica gel for years - about 22 yrs. Done wedding bouquets, prom flowers, funeral remembrances, etc. (One lady wanted about 100 red roses from her husband's funeral so she went and bought half a dozen or so large size containers and I did them for her.) It's fun to experiment with different flowers to see how they dry. Some just pretty much disintegrate. :)

Thanks, kooger.

Would the dry flowers become very brittle? Can you recommand some books or other resources that teach what to do with 3-D dry flowers?

There's various sprays to seal them after drying because if you don't seal them, they will absorb moisture from the air and become soft again. I sometimes used sprays and sometimes coated them with clear acrylic. The last box of silica gel I bought at Hobby Lobby and I think they have a book or two also. Generally the box it comes in has enough instructions to get started. Just make sure you buy a flower fix spray before they're done. Or you can leave them in a cool whip type bowl with about a tablespoon of silica gel, with the lid on.

There are blue crystals in the silica and when they are no longer visible, they can no longer absorb any more moisture. Then you spread the silica out on a cookie sheet and put it in an oven at about 200 (I think, read the box) degrees and leave it in there for a couple of hours. Stir it a few times and when the blue speckles are back, cool it and it's ready to use again. Stuff lasts forever!! Once they're dry, sealed, etc., you would use them just like silk flowers. Use green florist tape to attach to green wires, etc. to make a bouquet. Remember when you cut them off that the stem shrinks too and don't cut it too short. (done that too many times!)

Thanks!

Sounds like a fun project.

It is! It's fun to see a teenager's face light up when they see the rose they got from their boyfriend look so real - the hard part is convincing them to let you dry it before it gets all shriveled up! :) But air dried roses are pretty too!

Last Christmas I received Roses, before they began to wilt I bundled them and hung them upside down to dry, it just took a few days especially since the house is heated at this time of year.. I still have them in a vase with dried baby's breath. The pink colour has faded to "Ashes of Roses". Very pretty.

I've successfully used silica gel, but it takes a LOT, unless you only do a few flowers at a time. I've also tried a liquid preservative, but the color isn't as good. I've had just as much success by hanging them by their stems in a warm area with good air circulation (my guest room looked a little strange for a while with strings looped from window to window and upsidedown flowers hanging) Remember, too, that the flower will dry in the exact position it starts in, so if you want straight stems for arranging, you might want to wire them before you dry. Have fun, I made dozens of wreaths, and some of them are still around years later.