If you love roses and you wish to enjoy these flowers longer, you may turn them into beautiful dried roses. You may dehydrate the flowers with drying crystals. These are called silica gel, is a finely granulated substance which can be bought at craft supply and hobby stores.
To begin drying your roses, fill up a container (such as a plastic shoe box) with an inch-deep even layer of silica gel. Cut the flower’s stem leaving only one inch. Place a multi-pedaled flower face up in the gel. Single-layer pedaled flowers such as daisies must be positioned face down on top of the silica gel. Long-stalk flowers should be laid lengthwise in the container. Buds of roses and peonies must be laid horizontally in the silica gel.
Use a small spoon to scoop the silica crystals to cover the blossoms. Start from the outer parts of the flower and working your way toward the center. Make sure to sprinkle the crystals in between the petals to so the flowers will maintain their shape throughout the drying procedure.
Cover the container with its lid or a sheet of tin foil taped securely in place. Don’t allow the flowers to stay longer than seven days in the silica gel or the petals will turn brittle. You will know if they’re “done” if they feel crisp. If the flowers are still limp, leave them again for a day or two. Gently lift out the flower and shake off the crystals lightly. To display the dried roses or peonies upright, insert the branches onto a florist’s foam. You could also use an egg carton filled with sand and tuck a flower in each cup. To preserve dried flowers during winter, just place them in a storage box with a couple of mothballs and a few spoonfuls of the silica gel to keep bugs and humidity away.
More Tips for Drying Flowers
1. Flowers plucked to be air-dried should be and moisture-free and as perfect as possible.
2. Flowers intended for drying should not be plucked too early in the morning to allow the sun to evaporate the dew first. After which, you may then remove leaves from the stems to facilitate quick drying.
3. The quicker the flowers dry, the better they preserve their colors.
4. Gather flowers in bunches and fasten the stems with elastic bands. Hang the flowers inverted on a hook in a dry area, away from light.
5. Most flowers are most effectively air-dried when hung upside-down.
6. Dried materials can remain hanging at long periods of time, as long as they’re hanging in a dry, area away from moisture and humidity.
7. After the flowers have dried up, arrange them between layers of tissue paper inside cardboard boxes.
If you sell your crafts, you know there are times when craft sales can be painfully slow. This can be of particular concern if you earn your primary income through the sale of your designs. Would you like to discover some ways to supplement your craft income while still doing what you love? Here are some ways to bring in extra income when your craft sales are slow:
Bead Craft is a simple and fun hobby that anyone, of any age can enjoy. The beauty of it is that it’s so easy to learn the basics, and with only a minimal investment in materials and supplies, even a complete beginner with absolutely no prior experience can begin producing striking finished pieces.