Fresh blooms are undoubtedly one of the most classic gifts to express love during special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, Eid and Valentine’s Day. While most of us love receiving an uplifting vibrant bouquet, we also hate having to throw it away once it starts wilting, especially if it is connected to the kinds of moments in our lives we want to keep cherishing.
Thankfully, Dina Al-Malik, Marketing Manager at Flowers.ae, the UAE’s leading luxury online flower shop, has shared some tips and tricks on how to transform your bouquets of fresh blooms into beautiful and meaningful souvenirs. So next time you receive a gorgeous arrangement, whether it’s with long or short stem blossoms or in an enchanting corsage, here are some top ways to preserve them to remember the good times they represent for months to come.
As well as being another amazing way you can use flowers to decorate your home, turning them into wall art will make those blooms last for up to a year, with their beauty and the memories they come with maintained.
Simply take off your flowers from the bud and place them in any pattern your heart desires on wax paper. Then, place the wax paper with the flowers between the pages of a heavy book or a slab of wood, or any other heavy surface that is accessible to you. Place another sheet of wax paper on top and press your flowers to dry them for a week. Once your flowers are pressed together, display them on an empty frame and relive the memories whenever you walk past them.
2 of 4
Conserve flowers in silica or resin
Preserving flowers in silica or resin also makes for a great gift idea, or a way to make your coaster for your coffee table. And all you need is easily available at your nearest stationary or craft store.
Select a shape for your mould for a small necklace pendant, a paperweight or a coaster and fill it with epoxy resin. Then, carefully place your flowers or flower petals in your desired arrangement to the top and let it dry. Take off the mould after drying and voila, you have a beautiful decorative piece that preserves your flowers for years to come.
3 of 4
Immerse flowers in wax
If you want to save your bouquets from the test of time without compromising on the look of the arrangement as it is, dipping your flowers in wax is just about the most perfect solution.
Simply melt some paraffin wax in a saucepan on medium heat and once that’s done, plunge each individual flower in it, then immediately take it out and hang it upside down to dry. For this technique, it is best to avoid using the flowers that have already begun to lose their colours or petals. Once the wax on the flowers dries, aside from touch, they will take you back to the very first moment you got them and keep them that way for months!
4 of 4
Dry flowers in sand and make potpourri
If you adore the look of a vase full of potpourri and have enough flowers to create one, this way of saying no to flower waste is for you!
Simply dry your flowers in a bowl of sand for a week. Once your blooms have lost their moisture, you can place them in a clear vase and create a beautiful and timeless centerpiece for your dining or coffee table. Alternatively, you can tear the petals into smaller pieces and spray them with your favourite scent. The homemade potpourri will bring a smile to your face and is sure to wow anyone that sees it.