Pressing flowers is an age-old craft that everyone can enjoy – from kids to sophisticated designers. Floral displays and dried flower arrangements have experienced a massive revival as we search for new ways to connect with nature and bring the beauty of the outdoors into our homes – and the next new old trend is the era of flowers, which is a welcome return for our interior design schemes.
Says Andréa Childs, Editor at Country houses and interiors magazine. “From floral pulls hanging above the dining table to lively wreaths in spring, creating exciting and innovative displays is a way to channel our creativity in simple, conscious ways that help bring calm to our senses and harmony in our home.”
We spoke to stylist Claire Holland to discover the secrets of how to press flowers.
How to press flowers
Pressing flowers between the pages of a book, or in a flower press, is a traditional way to preserve the delicate beauty of flowers—particularly wildflowers that wither quickly once picked. They can be a keepsake for a walk and a way to notice the shift of the seasons through their changing flowers. And the attentive focus of pressing or displaying preserved flowers can be surprisingly relaxing.
Designer Claire Holland of Paper Thin Moon started pressing flowers as a child, and rediscovered her love for the craft after having children.
“It’s always best to press flowers (especially wild ones) as soon as they’ve been picked – the fresher the better,” Claire explains. I take out a small notebook with me, so I can squeeze it in on the go, and then transfer it to a larger book when I get home.
I put blotting paper on both sides of the flowers to avoid damaging the pages and leave them for at least two weeks before opening them again. It’s a wonderful surprise to see how they turned out.
Follow Claire’s step-by-step instructions on how to press flowers below. Plus, she shares her tips for choosing the best flowers for each season.
1. Preparing for picking
(Photo credit: Claire Holland/Paper Thin Moon)
Flowers, especially wildflowers, will wither quickly once picked – especially on warm days. They are very far unusable, so if you know you’re going out looking for flowers to squeeze in, try taking a plastic tube with a lid and keep them there until you get home. Claire says, “I got mine from a florist.
Alternatively, wrap the cut flowers in a water-dampened kitchen towel or cloth.
2. Reviving withered flowers
(Photo credit: Claire Holland/Paper Thin Moon)
“Most flowers can be revived by cutting the stems at an angle and placing them in water a little for some time,” Claire says.
“If it’s too wilted, it can be put in water and left in a cool place or outside to freshen up.”
For best results, pinch the flowers as soon after picking them as possible. But make sure it’s completely dry first to avoid damaging the delicate petals.
“Put the flowers out on kitchen paper to dry and then wipe them with absorbent paper to remove excess moisture,” Claire says.
3. How to press flowers into a book
(Photo credit: Claire Holland/Paper Thin Moon)
You can buy flower presses made of two pieces of wood that you place the flowers between and then screw together to flatten the blooms. But if you’re looking for the simplest way of how to press flowers, take out a book.
Choose a book with pages large enough to put flowers and stems between them.
“You can use blotting paper to protect the pages of a book, but it’s not necessary,” Claire says. “Try to wait at least two weeks before opening the book, as the flowers and leaves can stick to the pages and tear if they don’t dry completely.”
To speed up the process, you can put the book under a heavier pile. Otherwise, put it back on your bookshelf until you’re ready to look at the pressed flowers.
4. Display your flowers compressed
(Photo credit: Claire Holland/Paper Thin Moon)
You can leave the pressed flowers in a book to be encountered the next time you pick it up to read. But if you prefer cup flowers rather than hidden treasures, you can display pressed flowers in a variety of ways.
Stick them with gift tags to make personalized gifts; displayed in a frame; put it in a locket or a piece of jewelry; Or even cover it with resin to make a necklace or paperweight.
You can purchase Claire’s pressed floral artwork and prints at Paper Thin Moon.
What flowers are best for pressing?
“Flowers with a simple shape work especially well for pressing,” Claire Holland says. Look for buttercups, clover, red dove and stitches. The bell-shaped flowers also press well.
(Photo credit: Claire Holland/Paper Thin Moon)
Can I press the leaves as well as the flowers?
Yes, you can press the leaves as well as the flowers. “Some of the leaves press beautifully,” says Claire, how she recommends jasmine, elder, and cyclamen leaves as some of her favourites.
Choose fresh or recently fallen leaves, as dry leaves will crumble when pressed. The papers also tend to curl quickly once you take them out of the book, so I stick them to the paper to keep their shape.
(Photo credit: Claire Holland/Paper Thin Moon)