We know you’ve worked hard to nurture your beautiful summer garden. As we head into the changing seasons, it’s the perfect time to preserve your favourite blooms! Try this simple flower pressing activity that lets you bring the outside in, where you can enjoy it all year long. It’s fun for kids of all ages (and kids at heart)!

Step 1: Pick Your Flowers

To get started, spend some time in your garden and carefully select the plants you want to preserve. Opt for thinner flowers with a single layer of petals, like pansies, cosmos, and daisies, rather than thick flowers with many layers of petals, like roses and peonies. Herbs like mint, sage, lavender, and thyme are also great for this activity, as are other types of foliage like tree leaves and ferns.

For the best results, move on to Step 2 and start the drying process as soon as you cut the flowers.

Step 2: Dry & Press Your Flowers

You don’t need to invest in a fancy flower press–heavy books will do the trick! It’s possible that moisture from the flowers will seep into the pages, so try to choose books you don’t mind damaging a little (or pick up some used books specially for the project). Here’s how to press your flowers using the heavy book method:

• Cut some sheets of parchment paper down to the size of the pages in your books. This will help blot the moisture from the flowers and protect the books.

• Arrange your flowers on one sheet of parchment paper and cover them with another sheet of parchment paper like a sandwich.

• Slip this flower-parchment sandwich between the pages of a book. Be gentle and careful not to nudge the arrangement in the process!

• Place some more heavy books on top of the book that contains your flowers to weigh it down further.

• Have patience. These flowers can take up to a month to fully dry! To help them along, you can replace the parchment paper every few days. 

Enjoy Your Beautiful Pressed Flowers