With 30+ years experience of pressing flowers and leaves, over time I have learnt which flowers are the best for pressing. In this guide I will include the flowers I use for pressing and tips on how to preserve the beauty in each flower.

True art is in the flora 💐

1) Forget-Me-Nots

2) Fuchsias

3) Violas

4) Lady’s Mantle

5) Daisies

6) Astrantia

7) Acer Leaves

8) May Blossom

9) Verbena

10) Ivy

11) Roses

12) Thalictrum Leaves

13) Lobelia

14) Artemisia

15) Cotinus Leaves

16) Hydrangeas

Traditional Flower Pressing - Preparation.

To start you will need a wooden press or a book for smaller projects, newspaper or blotting paper, toilet roll and scissors.

When picking your flowers or leaves ready for pressing it is always best to do so on a sunny day when the flowers are dry as any excess water will cause the flowers to turn brown during the pressing process.

I always prefer to use newspaper for pressing as we press in bulk we need a lot of it and its a great way to recycle old newspapers and catch up on old news! Many people use blotting paper which works just as well.

You will need to apply a few sheets of paper to your press and cover with a strip of toilet paper. I always use paper without any patterns as this will transfer to the flowers. Apply your flowers to the paper face down, this helps flatten the petals and you can make sure there aren’t any petals folded over. Try to ensure you press flowers of the same thickness together. Cut off any stems if you wish. Then, add another layer of toilet paper to make sure all flowers are covered. Finally add around 4 sheets of newspaper/blotting paper so when you run your hand over you can’t feel the flowers. Repeat this process until the press is full or you’ve used all of your flowers.

Seal your press and turn the screws as tightly as you can. Tighten the screws every few days as this will help to dry out the flowers more quickly, helping to preserve as much colour as possible by removing the moisture.

This process usually takes 2 weeks depending on the thickness of the flower. After a couple of weeks open your press and gently touch the flower to make sure it is dry. It should feel warm to the touch. Be very careful removing your flowers as they are fragile they might tear.

Always store pressed flowers out of direct sunlight as this will prevent them from fading.

Here are some of the products I have made recently. Pressed flowers are also very popular for card making, cake decorating, photography props, resin designs and so much more.

Happy pressing!