The Best Way to Press Fresh Flowers

Overview

One way to bring the bright colors of your spring and summer flower gardens into the home is through flower pressing. Traditional flower pressing requires stacks of heavy books and several weeks of waiting, but you can press your fresh flowers in a few minutes with a microwave and a few simple supplies. Pressed flowers can be used to decorate scrapbooks, greeting cards, bookmarks and decoupage projects as well as all your other paper crafts.

Step 1

Cut the blooms you would like to press on a dry day. You will get the best results if your flowers are pressed when they are at their peak. Don't wait for them to begin wilting or browning.

Step 2

Cut away any excess plant material from the backs of the blossoms. This will help them lay flat and press nicely.

Step 3

Place 3 sheets of paper towel on top of the first ceramic tile. Position your first batch of flowers between 2 coffee filters and place them on the paper towels. Cover the coffee filters with 3 more paper towels and the second ceramic tile. Place a rubber band on each side of the stack to hold in place.

Step 4

Set your microwave to medium and heat the bundle for 20 to 30 seconds. Allow the tile to cool and check the flowers for dryness. Repeat until the flowers are completely dried out.