Pressing flowers needs only a minimum amount of equipment but a flower press is the most useful. Flowers such as pansies, lavender and freesias are all suitable for pressing.


Collect the materials for pressing early in the day after the dew has evaporated. Some of the flowers most suited to pressing include pansies, hydrangea florets and rose petals; herbs such as rosemary, lavender and dill; and leaves such as ivy or gum. The following method shows how to press flowers: the technique is the same for all materials, only the drying times may differ.

Here's how

1. Place a sheet of cardboard (cut to fit the shape of the press) onto the bottom of the flower press. Fold a sheet of newspaper and place it on top, cutting it to fit. Place a piece of blotting paper on top.


2. Arrange the flowers on the blotting paper, positioning them so they do not touch one another. Cut bulky flowers such as rosebuds in half with a craft knife before they are pressed.

3. Place a second sheet of blotting paper on top of the flowers, taking care that the petals do not move as you do this.


4. If desired, add more layers of flowers and blotting paper, and interleave the layers with cardboard and newspaper. It is a good idea to label and date the layers so that progress can easily be monitored.

5. Sandwich everything together with the top of the flower press and tighten the wing nuts or belts. Place the press in a dry, warm place.

6. Replace the sheets of blotting paper every 24 hours for the first week or so of pressing. This will help the flowers to dry quickly and retain their colour. Leave the thin flowers and leaves in the press for about two weeks, and up to six weeks for the plumper flowers.

Hints

• Pressed flowers can be stored in the plastic sleeves used for slides. The sleeves can then be placed in a ring binder for easy access.
  If you don't have a flower press, an old telephone book is an ideal substitute. Place the flowers between sheets of blotting paper and insert the flowers into the middle of the book. Stack the books on top of each other or place a weight on the book.
  Make sure the blotting paper you use has a smooth surface. If the paper is textured the pressed flowers or leaves will dry with a textured surface.
  It is not necessary to use fresh blotting paper every time you need to change it - dry the paper out over a heater and use it again.

The wonderful graphic shapes natural to flowers and leaves are preserved in this set of four pictures. The mounts and frames were kept simple so as not to distract from the flowers.

Source: Drying your own flowers (Murdoch Books)