Reuse Dead Flowers

Bright, colorful flowers can be given as a gift to convey affection, sympathy, or congratulations. Flowers quickly die and wilt, however, which may leave you wondering what you can do to avoid discarding them. Fortunately, there are some easy and inexpensive ways to reuse dead flowers, from turning them into a fragrant potpourri to pressing them into a frame.

Steps

Making Potpourri

1. Collect ingredients you'd like to use in your potpourri. If your dead flower arrangement is limited or unvaried in color, you can augment the petals with other plants. Petals from different flowers work well, as do herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage. For a spicier scent, try adding ingredients like cinnamon, clove, and star anise.
2. Spread the flowers out to dry. After gathering all your potpourri ingredients, you need to dry them thoroughly to prevent mold growth. Flowers and herbs can be laid out in a single, loose layer on a baking sheet. If you need a larger area, you can lay the flowers out on sheets of newspaper or on a counter. As long as the surface is completely smooth, it should work fine.
3. Store the flowers in a dark, cool place for drying. To dry without rotting, the dead flowers and herbs should be placed in a location that is dry, dark, cool, and well ventilated. Ventilation is key, as it is crucial to removing moisture from the flowers and mitigating bacterial or fungal growth. Most flowers and herbs will be thoroughly dry after about two weeks if placed in an ideal location.
4. Mix your potpourri together. Once dried, place your flower petals and sprigs of herbs into a large mixing bowl. Mix the potpourri together with a spoon, folding everything gently together to avoid damaging the flowers. To increase the fragrance of the potpourri, add essential oils to the mix.
   • Lavender, orange blossom, and rose oil are three common types for use in potpourri, but you can select oils that suit your own taste in fragrance.
   • Since essential oils dissipate quickly, you need to add a new ingredient to your potpourri mix: shavings of Orrisroot. Orris root is the root of a type of Iris, and it serves as a fixative for essential oils. The oils are absorbed into the root and very slowly released into the air as fragrance.
   • Use about a tablespoon (15 ml) of Orrisroot per cup (240 ml) of flower petals. You only need a few drops of each essential oil.
5. Allow the potpourri mixture to sit for six weeks. Place your mixture into a glass jar or brown paper bag. Each day, shake the container a little to redistribute the ingredients. This six-week waiting period allows the essential oils to become completely and evenly absorbed by the Orrisroot.
6. Add more flower petals and herbs to the potpourri. After waiting six weeks, your potpourri is ready for display. At this time, you can add more flowers and herbs if you want a mix with more volume. Your homemade potpourri can be displayed in a decorative bowl or stitched into small sachets for keeping your closet or car fresh.

Creating a Pressed Flower Artwork

1. Flatten the dead flowers before framing. Begin by laying the flowers between the pages of an old phone book, and then placing a heavy stack of books on top of the phone book. Leave the flowers like this for several days to flatten them out.
   • This will be easier if the flowers have not completely withered and dried, which makes them brittle. Cull the flowers from your arrangement before they wither completely.
2. Layer the dead flowers, mat, and glass for framing. After pressing the flowers flat, arrange them on an uncut piece of mat board. You can use small dabs of glue to secure them if desired. Place the glass or acrylic glazing into your frame, followed by the flower arrangement on the mat board.
3. Protect the flower arrangement from moisture. To prevent the dead flowers from attracting mold or bacteria, consider placing a small packet of silica gel behind the mat board. Then, place your foam or cardboard backing into the frame and secure it. Display the pressed flower art in its assembled frame where desired.

Preserving Flowers as a Bouquet

1. Trim the flowers to remove any excess. Take off any excess foliage from flowers and shape stems to your desired length. To help flowers retain color during the drying process, keep them out of the sunlight.
2. Hang the dead flowers upside-down. You can use string, clothespins, or tacks to secure the flowers, just make sure that they are pointed completely down.
3. Spray flowers with one light coat of hairspray. The hairspray will offer protection from the elements and prevent the flowers from wilting. Be sure that the hairspray used is unscented, so that the flowers’ natural scent can be preserved.
4. Leave them to dry for three days. Allow a few days for the flowers to dry, and, afterward, spray another thin coat of hairspray. Then, allow them to dry for one additional night.
5. Display the bouquet in a vase and enjoy. Display your flowers on a shelf or inside a cabinet. You will have better luck in decorating if using flowers that retain their seed pods after dying.
   • Some flowers, such as sunflower, lotus, and poppy, have seed pods that remain once the flower has died. These flowers can be attractively arranged in vases even after they have died.

Related Articles

• Preserve Rose Petals
• Collect Seeds from a Dead Marigold Flower
• Use Coffee Grounds in Your Garden
• Use Your Compost

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make a Chenille Denim Blanket
• Make a T Shirt a Tank Top
• Wrap a Toga
• Make a Denim Skirt From Recycled Jeans
• Maintain Faux Leather
• Recycle Towels
• Reuse Old Clothes
• Recycle Your Socks
• Make a Rice Sock
• Make a Garland With Scrap Fabrics

Read more ...