Preserving Bouquets

TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-732 -- More Projects »

You can preserve a treasured bridal bouquet or other flower arrangement by using silica gel to dry out the flowers.

Entertaining expert Dana Christine has great tips for preserving and displaying bouquets.

Preserve a fresh floral bouquet by drying the flowers. Hanging them to dry causes the colors to wash out. Instead use silica gel and plastic containers with tight-fitting lids to keep colors vibrant. Silica gel is available in tubs at craft stores.
Take a picture of the bouquet before drying the flowers to make re-creating the design easier.
Remove or replace any flowers that are wilted or have been crushed. If they don't look good now, they're not going to look any better when they're dried. For best results dry flowers at their peak rather than waiting until they're nearly dead.
Trim away all but two inches of the stems. They'll just become brittle when dry.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Sprinkle about 1-1/2 inches of silica gel in each container. Place the flowers face up, then completely cover with the gel (figure A). Flowers should not be touching each other.

Cover and place in a dry area. They will take from one to three weeks to dry, depending on size.

When the flowers are dry, make new stems with floral wire and tape, or just stick the flowers into floral foam (figure B). Refer to the photo when re-creating the bouquet.

Store the dried bouquet in a shadow box or other container to protect from humidity and keep it out of bright sunlight (figure C).

Guests
Dana Christine
Entertaining Expert
Grand Rapids, MN
Phone: 612-819-6611
E-mail: Danaholzinger@yahoo.com
Also in this Episode

TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-732
•	Preserving Bouquets
•	Preparing Shredded Salads
•	Locks and Keys 101
•	Tip of the Day

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