Pressing flowers is an old craft,

one that has been around for many years. Children and adults have easily preserved beautiful flowers from gardens and from bouquets that have been gifts. That’s why pressing flowers is an ideal intergenerational activity.

A beautiful pressed flower begins with collecting.

Take a walk in a garden and collect the flowers you wish to press. Small flowers and leaves like alyssum, violas, pansies, ferns, etc… are easiest to press. So look for flowers that are flat, unless you want a 3D effect. Also, make sure that the flowers and leaves you choose are dry.

Make this a family affair to go on the hunt for just the right flower. Kids love to help and are great at noticing and picking just the right flowers. 

Another option is to press flowers and leaves that have been part of a bouquet, perhaps one that was a gift. Babies breath and ferns might be good choices.

The next step is preserving.

You can use many types of presses, but the most convenient would be a phone book or other heavy book. Place the plant in the middle of the book, separated from each other if you have more than one plant. Close the book carefully. Most plants are pressed in about 2 weeks or a little less. Take care when removing the plants from the book.

Check out Crafts from Pressed Flowers which gives a few ideas of what to do with your pressed flowers.

Preserved flowers are also great for reminiscing. It can bring back memories of a season or an event!