How To Dry Out Flowers Fast In 7 Ways: [Beginner-Friendly]

Flowers often become cherished symbols of special moments and fond memories. However, their transient nature means they wilt with time, leading many to seek methods to dry out flowers quickly, ensuring they retain their splendour for years.

Dried flowers have risen in popularity, not just for their longevity but also for their distinct aesthetic appeal.

Whether you're an enthusiast looking to dry flowers for a craft project or someone hoping to immortalise a beloved bouquet, understanding how to preserve flowers is essential to achieving optimal results.

1. Using The Microwave

The power of the microwave isn't just for your leftovers, it can be a game-changer when creating dried flowers.

The urge to craft beautiful designs with dried flowers can be halted if it entails a three-week drying process. So, the microwave method is a speedy solution that promises preserved flowers in under a day, retaining much of the flower's natural vibrancy.

While some leaves might bubble slightly, the speed and colour retention make it a top choice for those in a hurry. The method is particularly favourable for drying delicate flowers and flower heads, which could lose their lustre with traditional pressing methods.

How To Dry Out Flowers Using Microwave:

1. Gather all your materials, ensuring you have fresh flowers, silica gel, a microwave-safe container large enough to accommodate your flowers and a microwave. Opt for more delicate flowers and flower heads, which may benefit more from this rapid drying method than traditional pressing.
2. Begin by adding a layer of silica gel at the bottom of your microwave-safe container. Carefully lay your fresh flowers on top of the initial silica gel layer, ensuring they are not overlapping.
3. Gently pour more silica gel over the flowers until fully submerged, ensuring they're enveloped evenly. Place the container, uncovered, into the microwave. Alongside it, add a cup half filled with water. This is crucial as the steam generated will prevent the flowers from getting scorched.
4. Set your microwave to run in 30-second bursts. After each interval, pause and gently check the condition of the flowers by delicately shifting the silica gel using a toothpick or a fork. Once the flowers feel sufficiently dry to the touch, which might take a few intervals depending on the flower type, remove the container from the microwave.
5. After microwaving, cover the container and allow the flowers to sit in the silica gel overnight. This ensures any remaining moisture is absorbed. When ready to use, carefully retrieve the preserved flowers from the silica gel and gently brush off any residual silica particles using a soft brush.

2. Using The Oven

When drying flowers, the oven is another easy method, striking a balance between speed and retention of the flowers' innate charm. This method favours those with potpourri in mind, producing dried flowers that retain their vibrant hue and shape.

Additionally, these oven-dried flowers become a delightful asset for cake decorating if you're using edible varieties or even as elegant additions to gift wrappings and table centrepieces.

Oven-dried flowers are perfect for various uses, from cake decorating, if they're edible varieties, to gift-wrapping embellishments or as show-stealing centrepieces.

How To Dry Out Flowers Using Oven:

1. Start by preheating your oven to its lowest setting. Line a baking tray with parchment or wax paper while it warms up.
2. Lay out your fresh flowers on the prepared tray. Ensure they're spaced out well and not touching one another to avoid not drying well enough in the oven.
3. Place the tray in the oven, leaving the door slightly open. This ensures the moisture finds an escape route, leading to more effective drying of the flowers.
4. The drying process typically spans eight to twelve hours. However, for pressing purposes, the flowers needn't be completely moisture-free. Regularly check on them to prevent over-drying or colour loss.
5. Post-drying, remove the tray and let the flowers cool to room temperature. If you intend to make potpourri, slight colour or petal loss won't be a concern.
6. Once cooled, your oven-dried flowers are ready to grace your crafts, dishes, or decorative ventures, carrying the timeless beauty only preserved flowers can offer.

3. Using A Food Dehydrator

Utilising a food dehydrator for drying flowers is also an effective method to obtain dried blooms that are both vibrant and well-preserved.

This technique shines particularly for those fully bloomed flowers—the flower heads will be flatter, and the petals will dry more evenly as they are fully outstretched. When compared to other drying methods, the dehydrator stands out for its consistency and the volume it can handle, making it especially beneficial for larger batches.

While requiring patience, the food dehydrator method yields dried flowers ideal for varied uses – from potpourri to tea infusions like chamomile or rosehip. Whether you want to encapsulate the flowers in resin or merely admire their aesthetic in dried arrangements, this method ensures you have perfectly preserved flowers.

How To Dry Out Flowers Using Food Dehydrator:

1. Opt for flowers that have reached full bloom. These flatter heads ensure the petals are fully outstretched and will dry uniformly.
2. Before dehydrating, remove stems and leaves from the fresh flowers, leaving only the flower heads. This not only aids in efficient drying but also ensures the flower retains its delicate shape.
3. Spread the flower heads evenly across the dehydrator trays. Adequate spacing ensures optimal airflow, which is pivotal for uniform drying.
4. Place heavier flowers closer to the fan, depending on your dehydrator's fan position. These flowers’ dense structure requires them to be dried for longer periods.
5. Set the food dehydrator to its lowest temperature. Introduce the trays and, for consistent results, rotate their placement every couple of hours, ensuring each tray is exposed to the fan.
6. If some dried flowers remain after your primary use, they can be stored effectively in airtight containers with a sprinkle of silica gel to maintain their freshness. Store these in a cool, dry spot to ensure longevity.

4. Using An Iron

Utilising an iron emerges as a delicate method for drying flowers, allowing these fragile wonders to transition from fresh bouquets to dried artistry seamlessly.

This approach, which encompasses pressing, might not yield flowers for dried arrangements, but it's an impeccable choice for crafting ventures, such as decoupage.

How To Dry Out Flowers Using An Iron:

1. Begin by gently patting your fresh flowers with a paper towel, ensuring excess moisture is removed. Subsequently, trim away the stems.
2. Position your flowers on a sheet of parchment paper, ensuring they're spaced out. Cover them with an additional parchment sheet and press them under a weighty book to achieve initial flatness.
3. Switch your iron to a gentle heat setting, taking care to turn off any steam functions. Place the parchment-covered flowers on an ironing board. Instead of the traditional glide, press the iron onto the parchment, holding it in place for 10 to 15 seconds.
4. After each pressing session, lift the iron, allowing the parchment to cool. Continue this cycle until the flowers achieve a fully dried state.

5. Using The Trunk Of Your Car

The art of preserving flowers often leads to innovative techniques, and using the trunk of a car is one such unconventional yet surprisingly effective method for drying flowers.

Especially on a balmy, sunlit day, the boot of your car acts as a natural oven, with the consistent warmth conducive to drying delicate blooms without exposing them to direct sunlight.

How To Dry Out Flowers Using The Trunk Of Your Car

Using the car's trunk as a drying method taps into an effortless, natural way to transform fresh bouquets into long-lasting dried flower arrangements without compromising their inherent beauty.

1. Choose flowers, ideally those with a more delicate constitution such as forest primroses, lilies of the valley, and violets, and ensure they're moisture-free.
2. Envelop your chosen flowers gently on parchment paper. This not only offers protection but aids in retaining their natural form.
3. Deposit the wrapped flowers in the boot of your car. Here, they remain shielded from direct sunlight but still benefit from the ambient warmth.
4. Close the trunk, leave them all day, and they should be completely dry by sunset. On a particularly hot day, they might be dried out by sunset. If not, it might take a couple of days to achieve the desired dryness. Always ensure they're kept out of direct sunlight in the trunk to prevent colours from fading.

6. Using A Desiccant

A desiccant, primarily known for its moisture-absorbing qualities in packaging, can be an adept tool in flower preservation. Among the favoured desiccants are moisture-absorbing desiccant substances like kitty litter and silica gel.

Though the desiccant method may seem unhurried, especially compared to the microwave technique, this method will eventually dry the flowers and help maintain their colour. This method stands out, especially for those delicate blooms, which are the trickiest to preserve without loss of colour or form.

How To Dry Out Flowers Using Desiccant:

1. Decide between using silica gel infused with a bit of salt or the more accessible kitty litter as your desiccant—wear gloves and perhaps a mask for safety while handling, especially with fine silica gel particles.
2. Before immersing in the desiccant, remove any additional foliage from your flowers and adjust the stem length accordingly, depending on your container size.
3. In a sufficiently spacious container, pour your chosen desiccant to form a base, ensuring it's ample enough to cradle the flowers without touching the bottom.
4. Lay larger flower heads face-up and those with a flatter face, like daisies, upside down. Linear flowers, like larkspur, should rest on their sides.
5. Carefully cover the flowers with more desiccant until they're well-concealed, then seal the container with its original lid or cling film.
6. Allow 10 to 21 days, depending on the flower type and desiccant used. The flowers dry best in this undisturbed state, absorbing the desiccant's moisture-wicking qualities.
7. Post-drying, exercise caution while extracting the dried flowers. Given their weight, sand and kitty litter can distort or damage the fragile dried blooms if handled roughly.

7. Air Drying

The air-dry technique stands out for its simplicity among the many methods for preserving flowers.

The air-drying method effortlessly transforms fresh bouquets into beautiful dried flower arrangements, perfect for sprucing up your living space with timeless elegance.

This method also ensures dried flowers retain their allure and encapsulate the essence of their fresher selves, ready to grace homes as dried flower arrangements or centrepieces.

How To Dry Out Flowers Using Air Drying:

1. For successful air drying, opt for sturdy flowers that inherently hold onto their petals such as Hydrangeas and Tail Flowers. Given the drying process's intricacies, picking a generous amount is wise, anticipating potential losses.
2. Remove foliage and leaves with meticulous care, adjusting stem lengths as required. Aim for bundles comprising no more than three stems to ensure effective drying.
3. Secure the flower stems with a rubber band or twine. As the drying process unfolds, stems will naturally shrink; hence, a snug tie at this stage ensures the bouquet remains intact.
4. In a well-ventilated space, suspend your flower bundles upside down, ideally ensuring a minimum six-inch gap between them. Improvised solutions like hooks or hangers can be attached if natural fixtures are absent. Monitor the drying process, which can span from two to four weeks, gauging readiness by the crispness of the petals.

Conclusion About How To Dry Out Flowers Fast

Whether you're a hobbyist or someone looking to preserve memories, knowing how to dry out flowers fast is an invaluable skill. By employing any of the above methods, you can ensure your flowers remain beautiful for years.

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Frequently Asked Questions About How To Dry Out Flowers Fast

How Does Humidity Impact The Speed Of Flower Drying?

Environmental nuances, especially humidity, play a significant role in how quickly flowers dry. Elevated humidity can weaken the drying process, with the excess moisture in the air making it challenging for flowers to become completely dry. In extreme cases, this can lead to mould formation.

Those in humid climates might need to use dehumidifiers or choose to dry flowers during the least humid seasons.

Are There Certain Flowers That Are Particularly Challenging To Dry Quickly?

Yes, flowers with dense or thick petals, like roses, can pose a challenge when you want to dry flowers quickly. Their inherent moisture content means they take longer to become completely dry.

In addition, tulips' delicate petals can shrink significantly or lose their shape when dried. Also, orchid’s thin, delicate structure makes them challenging to dry while maintaining their shape.

Do Dried Flowers Retain Their Scent After Undergoing Fast-Drying Methods?

Unfortunately the scent of dried flowers diminishes during the drying process. Fresh flowers are known for their potent fragrance, which can become muted once dried. However, many dried flowers still emanate a softer, often earthier scent reminiscent of their original aroma.

Can I Dry Flowers In Salt?

Yes, if you want to dry flowers and keep their colours bright, salt can help. Many people use salt when drying flowers because it helps keep their original colours.