Dried Floral Arrangements

Flower like sunflowers and zinnias must be dried in other ways. You'll need a drying medium like "silica gel". The gel will preserve the color and shape of the flower while it draws out all of the moisture. Cut the flowers after the morning dew has evaporated. Flowers with heads should be cut leavning only an inch of stem. The longer spiky flowers should be cut with long stems in tact.

Once you cut them, put them immediately in the gel. Line the bottom of a plastic container with a layer of gel. Place the flower face up in the gel and sprinkle the gel carefully around the blossom. Then put other flowers in the gel one by one, repeating the action. When done, seal the container with a tight-fitting lid.

In about 10 days, your flowers should be dry. Be sure to give them enough time to dry. Drying them longer can cause the colors to fade, but that's preferable to taking them out of the container too soon. When your flowers are dry, poor the silica gel into another container as it is reusable. The manufacturer will have instructions. Using an artist's brush, remove excess gel from the flowers. You can create artificial stems with floral wire.

From your gardnen, look for taller flowers or grasses, berries, cones to add to the arrangement. With a hot glue gun, adhere floral foam to the bottom of an interesting container. Cover the foam with sphagnum moss (dried moss).

Make the arrangement about twice the height of the container. Place the largest flowers first, looking for balance, then fill in with smaller flowers and filler material. Use greenery for blank spaces. Add in a few pumpkins or gourds for the finishing touches.

Miss our earlier issue? Here's the link: October's Decorating Tips