Learn how to make dried flower crafts for decor or gifts! Here are over 20+ ideas you’re going to love, perfect for beginning crafters. Grab your pressed flowers and check out these projects.
Growing up, my backyard was less of a yard and more of a botanical wonderland, thanks to my mom’s green thumb. Among the myriad of gardening skills she passed down to us kids, the art of pressing and drying flowers was one that truly stuck.
It felt like we were capturing a piece of the changing seasons under the pages of our heavy books, preserving the beauty of blooms long after their petals had fallen in the real world.
This hobby, along with a host of other delightfully ‘earthy’ activities we indulged in – think canning, dehydrating fruits for winter, and creating our own little ecosystem of sustainable living – painted our childhoods with a deep-rooted love for nature’s gifts.
Fast forward to today, and the question arises: what to do with all those delicate, preserved petals and leaves? If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably wondered how to breathe new life into these dried remnants of spring and summer.
Well, I’ve put together a treasure trove of over 20 creative and unique ideas for dried flower crafts that will transform your floral keepsakes into something truly special.
From decorative pieces that add a touch of nature’s elegance to your living spaces to handmade gifts that carry a piece of your heart, there’s something for everyone in this collection of pressed flower crafts.
So, let’s embark on this crafty journey together and explore the endless possibilities that await!
Pressing and Preserving Flowers
Before we jump into the projects, I did want to answer a few frequently asked questions about dried flower crafts. If you just want the ideas, scroll past this section. Otherwise, here’s a little education for you!
How do you dry flowers at home?
There are several methods to press and/or dry flowers. None of them are necessarily better than others. It’s really about what you want to do:
- Wooden flower press – two pieces of wood screwed together at all four corners
- Between the pages of books – place flowers in the pages of books, close and weight down for several weeks
- Hanging – Find a dark, dry area with good circulation and hang the flowers upside down. Leave flowers for two to three weeks until completely dry
- Ironing – flatten between parchment paper and press with a dry, hot iron
- Microwave – flowers stay between two ceramic tiles held together with rubber bands and are microwaved several times.
- Flower drying crystals – place in the silica gel for 3 – 7 days
If I were going to select a method, it would depend on what I was doing. If I need the flowers flat for my project, I’d use the books method and just be patient.
If I want the flowers to be dimensional and in tact (to make a wreath, for example), I’d use the hanging or crystal drying. Don’t be afraid to try them all and see what works best for you!
How do you dry flowers and keep their color?
You can’t. Flowers are going to do what they are going to do. You can’t really tell what colors you’re going to end up with when preserving flowers.
One strategy some use is to cut the flowers before they fully bloom, and that helps. But flowers will not retain their original color when you press and dry them.
Ready to dive into the dried flower crafts? Check out the projects below and let me know which are your favorite in the comments!
Dried Flower Crafts
Learn how to make crafts using dried flowers! Here are some great ideas you're going to love for DIY home decor or gifts.
DIY Pressed Flower Art
Make art using DIY pressed flowers and Mod Podge! It’s easy to dry flowers and preserve them in a frame – this tutorial shows you how.
Dried Hydrangea Wreath
Learn how to make a wreath with dried hydrangeas and other preserved flowers. This is such a beautiful way to display these unique blooms in your home!
Dried Floral Candles
These gorgeous and gift-able dried flower candles bring a little of the outdoors in and will help tide you over during the cooler months ahead.
Japanese Herbarium Bottles
Japanese herbarium bottles are easy to create and make a wonderful decor statement in your home. These pretty dried flowers in oil specimens are also great for gift giving and a nice way to display your floral collection.
DIY Pressed Flower Ornaments
These cute dried floral ornaments are perfect for those petals and leaves that are smaller than the others. Grab those little pieces and make some pretty ornaments to use on a tree or for gifts.
Wedding Day Shadow Box
Erin's husband made this beautiful wall art using a boutonniere he wore on their wedding day! You could put it in a shadowbox just like this, but you can also apply the petals to a canvas with Mod Podge.
Decorative Rocks
This tutorial will teach you how to apply pressed flowers to rocks! It's not as difficult as it sounds and is more forgiving than you might expect.
Flower Petal Candle Holders
Before autumn overtakes your garden, preserve some of the summer memories in the form of dried flower petals. From there you can make these beautiful flower petal candle holders.
Botanical Soap Bars
Preserve your garden's bounty in a clear soap bar! These botanical soap bars are a work of art with flowers, leaves, and herbs. Perfect for handmade gifts.
Monogram Wall Art
When I first saw this project I assumed the flowers were sewn into the linen. It turns out the tutorial for this project is way easier than that! No embroidery skills required.
How to Make Potpourri with Dried Flowers
Learn how to make potpourri with dried flowers and a few simple ingredients! Anything that adds a good smell to my house is right up my alley.
Pretty Flower Petal Paper
I made paper in elementary school, but it wasn't necessarily this pretty! Learn how to make dried flower petal homemade paper with this simple tutorial.
Resin Jewelry
If you've ever wondered how to make resin jewelry with dried flowers, this is a simple step-by-step tutorial for making pendants. You can get more resin craft ideas here.
Bookmarks with Pressed Flowers
Learn how to make pressed flower bookmarks with clear contact paper. This is such a fun, easy, and affordable DIY to do with kids at home!
You can see a version made with Mod Podge here.
Decorative Flower Art
Stephanie took a class on pressing flowers and created some beautiful art as a result! You have to see the different versions, including the rainbow one I love pictured here.
DIY Rose Bath Bomb Bars
Amy shows you how to make bath bombs using dried flowers and some other ingredients, plus she offers a free label download! This is a really easy DIY gift idea.
Romantic Garland
This dried flower garland is simple. It’s a bit romantic. AND it’s a sweet touch to add in a room to a drapery rod or fireplace! Even better is that you can make it in just a few minutes.
All-Natural Wax Melts
Learn how to easily make all-natural wax melts at home using plant-based wax, essential oils, and dried flowers and herbs to make your home smell wonderful.
Beautiful Flower Bouquet
Learn how to turn dried flowers into a bouquet! You can use your own dried flowers in addition to whatever you like from the craft store. This is also perfect for home decor.
If you enjoyed these pressed flower crafts, let me know in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out these other posts:
Anna
Friday 19th of August 2022
Lots of brilliant ideas. Question: if my garden has very few flowers where do you suggest I find fresh flowers or dried flowers in bulk
Amy
Friday 19th of August 2022
The craft stores usually have some dried flowers in the floral section, in the jewelry section, or with the resin! I recommend checking there. You can also get dried flowers on Etsy. Or you can buy grocery store flowers when they put them on sale because they don't sell and press them yourself!
Megan
Sunday 6th of March 2022
Amy- Anxiety about doing things right, or step by step can stop me in my tracks. I really appreciate you and your writing style! You inspire me to get moving just by saying "but try it your own way!" or "see what works for you" ... Thank you. Thank you. :-)
Amy
Saturday 12th of March 2022
My pleasure! And I'm all about taking your own journey :)
Jackie
Saturday 12th of February 2022
Wow these look awesome. Lots of ideas that I will use. Thank you so much
Amy
Saturday 12th of February 2022
Thank you for reading!