It’s been a long while since I’ve pressed any flowers, but with the garden looking so gorgeous this season I wanted to do something to preserve the different plants and flowers we have growing right now. If you’ve never pressed flowers, it’s super duper easy!

Start by selecting the leaves and flowers you would like to press. They are best collected when it is dry out as any kind of moisture on the leaves will cause them to mold rather than dry out. Also keep in mind you want thin and/or delicate flowers and not anything with too much moisture in it. A rose, for example, would be a bad idea because it would likely just rot. Small thin plants are best. Grab some parchment paper and a thick book if you don’t have an actual flower press (instructions on how to make one coming right up!), for today I used an old embroidery book with a hard cover.

Lay out the pieces you have selected in an arrangement that makes you happy. Try to lay the flowers flat so when they are pressed they are open, rather than just smushed if possible. Fold the parchment in half to cover all leaves, this will protect the pages of your book and also ensure the plants to not get stuck to a paper surface other than the parchment.

Fill the pages of your book with parchment packages and place it under a heavy weight for one to two weeks. I’ll post pics of mine when they are done ❤