How to Use a Flower Press

If there’s one skill to learn as a plant or flower enthusiast, it’s how to use a flower press! Pressing your flowers is the best way to get the most life out of your favorite blooms. You don’t need to have your own garden or have prior skills before jumping in. You really just need a few affordable items to get started pressing flowers today!

This was the first spring we spent in our new house, and I knew I wanted a way to save the memory. Luckily for us, the previous owner loved to garden and our front yard bloomed at least a hundred daisies. I clipped a few to bring inside and knew I had to get them into my flower press immediately!

I put together a quick process video (it’s less than 2 minutes!), including the before and after for these daisies. Head to my YouTube channel to watch the full DIY!

How to Press Flowers

The good news is that when it comes to how to make pressed flowers, there’s a few different methods out there to try. If you don’t like the method or results of one, you can move on and try another. The most popular and approachable methods are:

• In the microwave
• In a book
• With an iron and parchment paper
• In a wooden press

I’ve tried a few of these flower pressing methods in the past, like pressing flowers in a book and in the microwave, but I do think that using a wooden press is my favorite. I actually used the microwave method to preserve my wedding bouquet (though it did make my house smell in the process, ha!).

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What You’ll Need

• Wooden flower press
• Blotting paper
• Cardboard
• Flowers

I found a great beginner flower press kit on Amazon (for under $25!) that came with everything I needed to start pressing flowers. It’s a great option if you’re just getting started and want to try it out before really investing. I do think it’s a bit small, so keep that in mind depending on the size of items you want to press.

In the long term (and let me know if this is a project you’d like to see more of), I’m considering making my own to get a custom size! I’ve really enjoyed pressing flowers, but up until now I’ve really only worked with grocery store blooms. Now that we have a home, I’d like to venture into keeping a record of the plants we grow here, with the root systems and all! It would require a larger press and I think it’s very do-able to make one.

How to Use a Flower Press

Using a flower press is great because you really set it and forget it. As long as you set yourself up correctly from the beginning, you should be able to get great results. Make sure your materials are in this order:

• Wood press
• Cardboard
• Blotter paper
• Flowers
• Blotter paper
• Cardboard
• Wood press

If you’re pressing a few flowers, you can add more layers to the press. The main trick is to have cardboard between each layer. This helps create airflow in your press and reduces your risk of mold. The cardboard also needs to be the first and last thing down against the wooden flower press.

I’ve found that it helps to add your screws to the back panel of the press first so you avoid your flowers shifting at the end. Work on a flat surface then add all the components mentioned above to your press. Don’t forget to zhuzh your petals. How you place them is how they’ll dry!

Once you’re finished, tighten the top with screws, but avoid having the wood bow at all. You can come back and tighten the bolts a little tighter over the next day or two.

Leave on a flat surface in a cool and dark place until at least two weeks have past.

One last tip to keep in mind is that your flowers may not turn out perfectly every time. There are so many variables involved and damage or moisture content isn’t always visible before putting in to a press. If you run into mold or the petals didn’t turn out the way you want, try again! Have fun and lean into the uniqueness!

How Long Does it Take to Press Flowers?

There are a few variables that will alter the length of time you should leave your flowers in a press:

• The size of your flower / amount of petals (larger ones will take longer)
• Your environment (heat and humidity will lengthen time)
• The amount of moisture in the flower

On average, the pressing process should take between 2-4 weeks. After two weeks you can carefully check on your first layer to see if they’ll need more time in the press. After they’ve spent enough time in the press you can leave them out in a cool dark place to air cure the remainder of the way.