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How to Press Flowers: A Step-by-Step Guide for Gifts & Crafts
- 📖 Learning how to press flowers might be the best decision you make this spring — or any season, honestly.
- 💡 For garden flowers, pick them in the morning after the dew evaporates — typically around 9–10 AM.
- 🌸 Local florists arrange every bouquet by hand, and the flowers arrive fresh enough to press the same day.
Learning how to press flowers might be the best decision you make this spring — or any season, honestly. Picture this: someone special sends you a gorgeous bouquet for your birthday. The roses are perfect, the colors are vibrant, and for about a week, the arrangement lights up your kitchen table. Then the petals start to droop. The edges brown. And before you know it, you're tossing the whole thing into the compost bin. But what if you didn't have to?
Pressed flowers let you hold onto those moments — a Mother's Day arrangement, a wedding bouquet, wildflowers from a summer hike — for years, not days. And the process is way easier than most people think.
This guide comes from the MyGlobalFlowers blog — an online resource by MyGlobalFlowers, an international flower delivery service working with local florists worldwide. Here, you'll learn the best methods for pressing flowers, which blooms work best, how long the process takes, how to press flowers quickly when you're short on time, and the mistakes that ruin most beginners' first attempts. Let's get into it.
Best flowers for pressing
Before you learn how to press flowers, you need the right flowers. Not every bloom cooperates under pressure — literally. The best flowers for pressing share a few traits: thin petals, low moisture content, and flat or simple shapes. Here are the ones I always recommend.
Pansies — naturally flat faces with vivid purples, yellows, and whites that hold color beautifully after drying.
Violets — tiny, delicate, and almost paper-thin already, making violets one of the easiest flowers to press.
Daisies — classic shape, thin petals, and great color retention from white to pink varieties.
Cosmos — lightweight petals that dry quickly and maintain their soft pink, magenta, or white tones.
Ferns (fronds) — not a flower, but ferns press flat with gorgeous detail and add texture to any project.
Larkspur — tall spikes of purple, blue, or pink blooms that press into striking individual florets.
Queen Anne's lace — intricate, lacy structure that creates stunning pressed specimens with almost no effort.
Black-eyed Susans — cheerful golden petals that keep their warm color for months after pressing.
Lavender — slim stalks and small buds that press cleanly and even retain a faint scent.
Hydrangea florets — individual hydrangea petals (not the whole cluster) press thin and translucent with beautiful pastel shades.
Coreopsis — bright yellow-orange petals that flatten easily and resist color fading.
Buttercups — small, waxy petals that keep their glossy golden finish even after weeks of pressing.
Flowers to avoid: Thick, bulky, high-moisture blooms give you trouble. Full peonies, garden roses with dense centers, orchids, and succulents hold too much water and tend to mold or rot before drying. Lilies can work, but you need to slice the thick base of each petal first.
Here's a great tip — flowers from a delivered bouquet work perfectly for pressing. The next time you receive an arrangement from a local florist, set aside a few of the thinner blooms before the bouquet fades. You're preserving more than petals. You're preserving the memory behind the delivery.
How to press fresh flowers — preparing your blooms
Knowing how to press flowers starts well before you open a book or tighten a press. Preparation matters more than most people realize, and how to press fresh flowers the right way comes down to timing and technique.
When to start: You get the best color and shape from flowers pressed within a few hours of cutting. For garden flowers, pick them in the morning after the dew evaporates — typically around 9–10 AM. For a delivered bouquet, start pressing as soon as the flowers open fully but before any wilting begins. That window is usually day two or three of a fresh arrangement.
Step-by-step preparation:
Select blooms that are fully open with no brown spots, bruises, or signs of decay.
Trim stems down to about 1–2 inches, or remove stems entirely for flat pressing.
Strip away excess leaves and foliage — keep only the pieces you want to press.
Blot each flower gently with a paper towel to remove surface moisture, morning dew, or water from the vase.
Flatten thick flowers by slicing the flower head in half through the center — this works especially well for roses and zinnias.
Freshness really does matter here. A flower pressed the day you cut or receive the arrangement retains 80–90% of its original color. Wait three or four days, and you'll notice duller tones and more browning. Speed is your friend.
How to properly press flowers — 4 methods
Now for the core of this guide: how to properly press flowers using four proven methods. Each technique covers how to dry press flowers effectively, and every method works for pressing flowers at home with supplies you probably already own. The best way to press flowers depends on your timeline, your tools, and how many blooms you want to preserve at once.
Pressing flowers in books
Pressing flowers in books is the most traditional method, and honestly, my favorite. There's something satisfying about tucking a pansy into a heavy dictionary and forgetting about it for a few weeks.
Supplies you need:
A heavy hardcover book — a phone book, textbook, or encyclopedia works best (at least 2–3 inches thick).
Parchment paper or wax paper — cut into sheets slightly smaller than the book pages.
Extra weight — stack 15–20 lbs on top (other books, bricks, or a cast-iron skillet).
Step-by-step instructions:
Open the book roughly one-third of the way in.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the right-hand page.
Arrange your flowers face-down on the parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch between each bloom.
Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top of the flowers.
Close the book gently without shifting the flowers.
Stack 15–20 lbs of weight on the closed book.
Leave the book undisturbed for 2–4 weeks.
Pros: No special equipment needed, great results, handles multiple flowers at once.
Cons: Takes the longest — you wait 2–4 weeks. Moisture can warp book pages without parchment paper protection.
Important tip: Never skip the parchment paper. Flower moisture seeps into book pages, warps the paper, and can leave permanent stains. Also, avoid newspaper as a substitute — the ink transfers onto petals and ruins the color.
Using a wooden flower press
A wooden flower press — two flat boards connected by bolts, roughly 9 × 12 inches, applying even pressure across every petal — gives you the most consistent results of any method.
Supplies you need:
A flower press (store-bought for about $15–$30, or DIY with two plywood squares, four bolts, wing nuts, and cardboard layers).
Absorbent paper — blotting paper, coffee filters, or plain cardstock.
Step-by-step instructions:
Unscrew the wing nuts and remove the top board.
Layer a piece of cardboard, then a sheet of absorbent paper on the bottom board.
Arrange flowers on the absorbent paper without overlapping.
Cover flowers with another sheet of absorbent paper, then another piece of cardboard.
Repeat layers for multiple batches — you can press 4–6 layers in one press.
Replace the top board and tighten the wing nuts evenly until snug.
Retighten the wing nuts after 24 hours as flowers compress and moisture escapes.
Pros: Even pressure, handles bulk batches, portable, reusable for years.
Cons: Still takes 2–4 weeks. Requires a small investment upfront.
Microwave flower press
Need results fast? This is how to press flowers quickly — using a microwave. The total active pressing time runs roughly 2–5 minutes, making this the fastest method by far.
Supplies you need:
Two flat, microwave-safe ceramic tiles (about 4 × 4 inches).
Two rubber bands or microwave-safe clips.
Absorbent paper — coffee filters or plain paper towels.
Step-by-step instructions:
Place a sheet of absorbent paper on one ceramic tile.
Arrange flowers on the paper in a single layer.
Cover flowers with a second sheet of absorbent paper.
Set the second tile on top and secure both tiles together with rubber bands.
Microwave on medium power in 30-second bursts.
Check flowers after each burst — you typically need 3–6 rounds (roughly 2–3 minutes total).
Let the tiles cool completely before removing the flowers.
Pros: Incredibly fast — you finish in minutes, not weeks. Great for impatient crafters.
Cons: Easy to overheat and scorch petals. Works best with small, thin flowers. You can only press a few blooms at a time.
Honestly, this method surprised me with how well the colors hold up. The rapid drying locks in pigment before the flower has time to oxidize and brown.
Pressing flowers with an iron
Another fast option — this method uses dry heat from a household iron to flatten and dehydrate flowers in minutes.
Supplies you need:
A standard clothing iron.
Parchment paper (two sheets).
A hard, heat-safe surface — an ironing board or a wooden cutting board.
Step-by-step instructions:
Set your iron to the lowest heat setting and turn off the steam function completely.
Lay one sheet of parchment paper on your pressing surface.
Arrange flowers face-down on the parchment paper.
Cover flowers with the second sheet of parchment paper.
Press the iron onto the parchment paper firmly for 10–15 seconds.
Lift the iron, let the flowers cool for a few seconds, and press again.
Repeat this press-and-lift cycle for 5–15 minutes until flowers feel dry and papery.
Pros: Fast results, no special equipment, works well for leaves and sturdy petals.
Cons: Requires constant attention. Too much heat scorches delicate petals. Uneven pressure can wrinkle thin flowers.
Critical reminder: Keep the steam off. Any moisture from the iron rehydrates the petals and undoes your work.
How long to press flowers
One of the most common questions about how to press flowers is simply: how long? Here's a clear breakdown by method.
Book method — you leave flowers pressing for 2–4 weeks.
Wooden press — you wait 2–4 weeks, same as the book method.
Microwave press — you finish in 2–10 minutes of active pressing time.
Iron method — you spend 5–15 minutes pressing with dry heat.
How to tell when flowers are done: Touch the petals. Fully pressed flowers feel papery, stiff, and completely dry — no cool or damp sensation against your fingertip. Bend a petal edge gently. A properly pressed flower holds rigid. A flower that still flexes or feels cool needs more time.
Climate matters — a lot. Flowers dry faster in low-humidity environments. Living in Arizona or Colorado? Your book-pressed flowers might finish in 2 weeks flat. Living along the Gulf Coast — Florida, Louisiana, coastal Texas — you should add 1–2 extra weeks of drying time. The ambient moisture in the air slows everything down. A smart workaround: toss a few silica gel packets near your press or inside the book. Those packets absorb ambient humidity and speed up the process. In the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle), where rain and overcast skies keep indoor humidity elevated, silica gel packets make a noticeable difference too.
Looking for birthday flowers?
Browse birthday flowers from local florists and pick one that suits the moment.
Can you press dried flowers?
Here's a question most guides skip entirely: can you press dried flowers? Yes — but this process works differently than pressing fresh blooms, and you need to adjust your approach. Knowing how to press dried flowers saves arrangements you forgot to press when fresh.
Dried flowers are already dehydrated, which sounds like an advantage. The problem? Dried petals are brittle. You place a dried rose under 20 lbs of books, and the petals crack, shatter, or crumble into confetti. Not the look you're going for.
The technique that works:
Lightly mist the dried flowers with water from a spray bottle — one or two sprays from about 8–10 inches away.
Let the flowers absorb the moisture and soften for 10–15 minutes.
Place softened flowers between parchment paper in a book or press.
Use less weight than you would for fresh flowers — aim for 5–10 lbs instead of 15–20 lbs.
Check flowers after 1 week, then continue pressing for another 1–2 weeks until fully flat and dry again.
Dried flowers that tolerate pressing well:
Lavender — slim buds flatten without cracking.
Baby's breath — tiny, airy florets press cleanly with minimal breakage.
Statice — papery petals handle rehydration and re-pressing gracefully.
Dried ferns and leaves — foliage presses more reliably than most dried flower heads.
Dried flowers that don't press well:
Dried roses with thick centers — the dense core resists flattening and cracks outward.
Dried peonies — too many layered petals, too much bulk, too much breakage.
Dried sunflowers — thick seed heads make even pressure impossible.
By the way, pressing dried flowers is a great way to preserve a hanging dried bouquet that's starting to collect dust. Instead of throwing the arrangement away, you give those flowers a second life as flat, frameable art.
Common mistakes when pressing flowers (and how to avoid them)
Learning how to press flowers also means learning what not to do. These seven mistakes ruin more pressed flowers than anything else — and most are completely avoidable.
Pressing flowers that are too wet. Excess moisture trapped between pages or press layers breeds mold. Always blot flowers with a paper towel before pressing. Wait until morning dew evaporates before picking garden blooms. Change the absorbent paper after 24 hours to wick away released moisture.
Using too little weight. Flowers need firm, consistent pressure to dry flat. Without enough weight — at least 15–20 lbs for the book method — petals curl, wrinkle, and dry unevenly. Stack heavy books, bricks, or a cast-iron pan on top of your pressing book.
Stacking flowers on top of each other without separator sheets. Flowers touching other flowers stick together as moisture escapes. Always place parchment paper or absorbent sheets between every layer. Separate each bloom by at least 1 inch within the same layer.
Opening the press too often to check progress. Every time you open the book or loosen the press, you release pressure and introduce fresh air moisture. Resist the urge to peek for the first 7–10 days. After that, one quick check is fine — then close everything back up.
Pressing thick-centered flowers whole. A full rose or dahlia head won't flatten evenly. The thick center stays damp while thin outer petals over-dry and crumble. Slice thick flowers in half vertically through the center before pressing. You get a beautiful cross-section profile and even drying throughout.
Storing pressed flowers in direct sunlight. UV light bleaches pressed petals fast. Colors fade within weeks near a sunny window. Store pressed flowers in a dark location, and use UV-protective glass for any framed display pieces.
Using newspaper as pressing material. Newspaper ink transfers onto petals during pressing, leaving gray or black smudges on your flowers. Use plain parchment paper, coffee filters, or blotting paper instead — never printed material.
What to do with pressed flowers — creative ideas for every season
Once you master how to press flowers, the creative possibilities open up wide. Here are ideas tied to US holidays and occasions throughout the year.
Mother's Day (May) — Frame pressed flowers from a Mother's Day bouquet in a shadow box with a handwritten note. The gift lasts decades, not days.
Spring wildflower season — Create pressed-flower bookmarks from wildflowers you find on April and May hikes. Laminate the bookmarks for durability.
Summer crafts (June–August) — Make resin coasters with pressed summer blooms like cosmos, coreopsis, and black-eyed Susans. Pour clear epoxy resin over arranged petals for a glossy, functional piece.
Fourth of July — Press red, white, and blue flowers (red geraniums, white daisies, blue larkspur) into a patriotic collage or greeting card.
Back to school (September) — Press late-summer flowers and use pressed petals to decorate journal covers or DIY notebook covers.
Thanksgiving (November) — Press fall chrysanthemums, maple leaves, and asters to create table place cards or autumnal garlands.
Valentine's Day (February) — Turn pressed roses from a Valentine's Day delivery into framed wall art for your bedroom or living room.
Weddings and proms — Preserve the bridal bouquet or prom corsage as a keepsake. Press individual blooms and arrange pressed flowers in a commemorative frame.
Pressed flowers also make thoughtful, handmade gifts — far more personal than anything store-bought. A framed pressed-flower arrangement says "I thought about you" in a way few other gifts can.
How to store pressed flowers so they last for years
Most guides on how to press flowers stop at "now use them in crafts." But what about the flowers you want to save for later — or preserve indefinitely? Long-term storage is where many people lose their pressed blooms to humidity, light damage, or physical breakage.
Best storage practices:
Use acid-free paper or glassine envelopes. Regular paper contains acids that yellow and degrade pressed petals over time. Acid-free tissue paper or small glassine envelopes (available at art supply stores) protect flowers from chemical damage.
Store flowers flat. Place pressed flowers between sheets of acid-free paper inside a rigid container — a flat storage box, a portfolio case, or even a clean pizza box. Never stack anything heavy on top of stored flowers.
Keep the storage location cool, dry, and dark. A bedroom closet shelf works perfectly. Avoid basements (too much humidity and risk of flooding) and attics (extreme temperature swings cause petals to expand and crack).
Add silica gel packets to storage containers. Drop one or two small packets into each box to absorb ambient moisture and prevent mold growth.
Frame with UV-protective glass. Seal framed pressed flowers behind UV-filtering glass or acrylic to block sunlight that fades colors. Museum-quality UV glass blocks up to 99% of harmful light.
You store pressed flowers properly, and those blooms last 5–10+ years with vivid color and intact petals. I've seen pressed flowers from the early 2000s that still look stunning — all because someone used acid-free materials and kept the flowers away from light and moisture.
Regional storage note: Living in high-humidity areas like coastal Florida, the Carolinas, or the Gulf Coast? Run a dehumidifier in the room where you store pressed flowers, or keep the storage container in a climate-controlled closet. Humidity above 60% invites mold, even on fully dried specimens.
Your next bouquet deserves more than a week
There's something quietly powerful about pressing flowers. You take something fleeting — a birthday bouquet, a handful of wildflowers from a trail, a single rose from someone who matters — and you make the moment physical, permanent, holdable. That's not just a craft project. That's a way of paying attention to the beauty that passes through your life.
Try pressing flowers from your next bouquet — whether the blooms come from your garden, a farmer's market, or a delivery from someone special. Start with the book method, keep things simple, and see what happens when you open that dictionary three weeks from now.
Browse the MyGlobalFlowers catalog for fresh blooms that double as your next pressing project. Local florists arrange every bouquet by hand, and the flowers arrive fresh enough to press the same day.
So — what flowers are you planning to press first?
Send flowers today
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