DIY Perfectly Pressed Petals

Today I decided to press some flowers! My backyard is full of all different leaves and flowers to pick, so it was a good place to start. The surprise of taking the flowers out of the press reminds me of my childhood, and pressing petals and leaves with my Grandma. Here is a step-by-step guide in pressing your own flowers.

1. Get yourself a flower press! This certain one alternates cardboard and parchment paper. But don't worry if you don't have one, because you could also use a large book (dictionary, encyclopedia, Bible etc.) but I would suggest placing the flowers on white paper before pressing, so that you don't wreck the book with the pollen stains from the flowers.

2. Place your flowers around the page. You can fill it up as much as you like, or place one flower on each page, whatever you like! Try and find flowers that are at flat as possible, if it has a really long steam, make sure to cut it off. I flattened all the flowers with my hands before laying them down.

 

3. I always place my flowers face down, so I can get an idea of how the petals are going to press, and so I can make sure the petals are not overlapping (unless you want them too!)

4. The flowers should be finished pressing within 2-3 days, depending on the type of flower. I'll post a follow up DIY for what I am going to do with the petals once they are nicely flattened and dried. Stay tuned! 

-Sierra