Dried plants used to be used as home decorations, costumes, women's hats and hairstyles. Compositions of dried flowers bring a special emphasis to the interior and have a unique aroma of summer. If you like to create beauty, then for sure you will like the idea of making bouquets at any time of the year.
What are dried flowers?
Dried flowers are dried plants that have retained their aesthetic appearance. They are used for decorative purposes: for making bouquets, compositions, ikebana, panels, paintings and other artistic crafts.
A dried flower is not necessarily a flower. It can be any plant. “Great!” Beginner florists will think. But not so simple. Some dried plants quickly crumble, break, and lose their shape. In this, dried flowers for floristry are difficult to work. Therefore, they require extremely accurate and careful handling.
From which plants can dried flowers be made for beginners?
As it turned out, not all flowers are easy to handle after drying. Here is a list of plants that even novice florists can handle.
In central Russia, the following species are most often found:
- gypsophila (swing);
- Kermek
- Helopterum
- yarrow;
- gelichrysum (immortelle);
- winged ammobium;
- xerantemum (dried flower);
- celosia;
- knapweed;
- physalis;
- cmin;
- poppies.
Bouquets of dried flowers complemented by spiny plants look interesting. These include teasel, muzzle, and bluehead.
Dried flowers for experienced florists
As already mentioned, there are plants that are difficult to work, which lose their decorative effect. When collecting and harvesting, they break. If they managed to be dried, then when stored or inserted into a bouquet, they simply crumble.
Modern methods of processing and fixing dried flowers allow the use of "capricious" specimens. We list the plants that recently began to be used by experienced florists to create compositions.
- amaranth;
- echinacea;
- clematis;
- astilbe;
- lyatris;
- evening primrose;
- nigella.
What else can be turned into dried flowers for floristry?
In principle, only imagination limits. Bold florists even insert bark, roots, vegetables, fruits, moss and mushrooms into the compositions. For a fragrant alluring smell, cloves, cinnamon and lavender are added.
The traditional elements in bouquets are parts of dried plants: flowers, leaves, seeds, seed heads, stems and fruits.
Any cereal plants beautifully complement the composition. The most commonly used are barley, hare, maize, miscanthus and antioxantum, which also smells good.
The subtleties of collecting plants
The plants and flowers that you will use are best harvested in the first half of the day in dry weather. For a composition of dried flowers, only intact, listless and beautiful specimens should be torn.
Some plants change color after drying. If you do not need surprises, then take note of the observations of our ancestors. Blue, orange, pink, and purple plants retain their color best. Light flowers may turn yellow, and red flowers may become darker and acquire a brown hue.
Air drying plants
The easiest way is to naturally air dry. Just take the plants outside in shade and wait a few days. The main thing is that the rain does not wet them.
Large flowers for the composition of dried flowers are usually laid out on a newspaper in one layer. These are, for example, roses and peonies. And small plants are dried in several layers or divided into small bundles, bind and hang heads down. For example, this method is suitable for chrysanthemums and spikelets. By the way, such bunches of fragrant plants during drying look interesting in the interior.
Microwave Dry Acceleration
This method is not suitable for fragile plants. But with strong buds, you can save time and start to make a bouquet faster. Put the plants in the microwave and check every five seconds. When they become dry enough, you can remove and use them in your work.
How to dry flowers with silica gel?
Pour the gel into an airtight container, lay the flowers, carefully cover with another layer of gel and close the lid. Plants should be checked daily, since the gel can easily dry out and disrupt the structure. Usually drying in this way takes a couple of days.
How to store dried flowers
Finished plants are tinted if necessary and covered with varnish or special floristic fixative. This will help them keep their shape longer. As soon as the varnish dries up, dried flowers are carefully cleaned in a cardboard box. Keep it in a humid place is not worth it.
What you need to make a bouquet of dried flowers
The flowers are dried, now you can proceed directly to the composition of dried flowers. For the interior, choose plants that match the color scheme of the room.
So, prepare:
- dried flowers;
- sharp scissors;
- a rope, string or ribbon for binding stems;
- a vase or flower pot;
- nail polish for fixing.
Step by step we make a bouquet of dried flowers
Step one. Inspect the room, look for a corner for flowers. It is better to place bouquets of dried flowers away from heating appliances and sunlight.
Step Two Choose the appropriate pot or vase depending on the size of the spot found.
Step Three Put the necessary tools and dried flowers in front of you.
Step Four Collect dried flowers in a bouquet.
Step Five Shorten the stems to the desired length with scissors and tie them tightly but carefully.
Step Six Coat the composition with varnish (preferably aerosol) to less contact with the colors. Wait for it to dry. If you want to preserve the natural aroma of dried flowers, then skip this item.
Seventh step. Place the bouquet in a vase and put in its rightful place. Enjoy the result!
Also perfectly complement the interior of the composition of dried flowers. They differ from the usual bouquets in a vase. Flowers can be placed in a low pot, make a Christmas wreath, topiary and much more. We will make the composition in a low pot.
Materials for composition in a pot
The following should be prepared:
- a small and low vessel, it’s not necessary to buy a pot, you can even use cottage cheese cups;
- gypsum;
- scissors;
- dried flowers;
- moss, sisal or decorative pebbles (to close voids in the composition);
- varnish;
- decorative elements to decorate the pot.
Making a composition with dried flowers in a pot
Step one. Decorate your vessel to make it look like a pot. If you use purchased, then this item can be skipped for now.
Step Two Dilute the gypsum according to the instructions, pour into the pot, not reaching the edge of a centimeter or two.
Step Three Until the gypsum has dried, gently stick the dried flowers, cutting the stems to the desired length with scissors. Better to leave her small. Do-it-yourself composition of dried flowers looks good if the entire surface of the pot is closed. Therefore, try to place the plants as close to each other as possible.
Step Four Again, until the gypsum has dried, cover the voids with moss, sisal or decorative pebbles. For convenience, you can take tweezers.
Step Five If you used a ready-made purchased pot, then it's time to decorate it. Maybe he lacks strassiks, lace, or something else?
Step Six Coat the product with varnish, wait for it to dry.
Seventh step. Admire the result!
Do not forget to dust your compositions, then they will delight you even longer!