We have finally reached the end of this 3 part series on drying flowers. If you’ve made it this far, you probably already know that small, homemade, and do-it-yourself flower presses can be purchased at places like craft stores, well-stocked gift shops, and even some of the big box stores. Stores have been known to carry some from time to time. I’ve seen the lot…mostly made in some faraway third world country, then shipped here to sell for way more than it should.

A flower press is really a useful gadget for the crafter. Not only is it fun to dry and iron on your own… it can also be cost effective. Our daughter, for example, earned a nice sum of money in her spare time after school making perfectly lovely pressed flower bookmarks that were accepted and traded in a very nice craft store. Imagine making your own delightfully charming, laminated, personalized bookmarks to give as gifts to friends and family. Leading glass artisans also use pressed flowers to good effect in their often jewel-like creations.

Literally anyone who has the most basic hand tools, or has a friend or neighbor with a hand saw and light drill. The one detailed throughout this article cost a total of 88 cents (for the four bolts with wing nuts and washers), so, you see, this is not an expensive project! A link to images of the process appears at the end of this article.

First, lay out some scrap pieces of quarter-inch plywood, Masonite, or paneling. You will need three pieces. The color, type of wood, or finish doesn’t really matter. Old clipboards that are no longer used would be a perfect source. Most basements, attics, garages, or barns have stashes of wood scraps too nice to throw away. Rummage.

Your finished product can be pretty much any reasonable size; this one will be 5-1/2″ by 7″ when finished, but that could vary based on your needs. Don’t be fussy about precise measurements, as long as all three pieces are the same size and shape. Most of the flowers you will press will be quite small, so there is no point in making a giant one.

Cut them (or have them cut them) to what you think is an appropriate size, then carefully, thoroughly sand with medium-grit, then fine-grit sandpaper to remove all rough edges. The splinters can be an awkward reminder if you skip this step. Smooth edges and surfaces will be much better for later painting or decorating. Now stack the three pieces together and put 4 or 5 rubber bands around them to keep them in place. Using a hand or power drill, drill a 1/4-inch hole about 1/2-inch from each corner. Holding the drill as close to perpendicular as possible, drill all three pieces at the same time, making sure nothing “slips” in the process so all the holes line up. I like to file or sand a notch along one edge of all three boards at this point to make it easier to line up the holes when it’s time to press some flowers.

Once the holes are done, go back to your sandpaper and smooth down the rough edges of each hole to remove chips and “hanging chads” (sorry, just had to poke that in!). So far the fun part.

Somewhere in that basement, garage, or barn there should be a few cardboard boxes just waiting for the need to arise. If not, try your local grocery, hardware, or appliance store; they’ll be happy to let you rummage through their recyclables. Use one of the pieces of wood to measure and mark about a dozen pieces of cardboard of the same size, and either with a strong pair of scissors, a garden stick, and a craft knife (being careful not to cut a piece of the knee). or thumb), or a paper cutter, cut them out. Cleanliness counts…and be careful not to cut into your carpet or dining room table.

Do the same with 25-30 sheets of newsprint of the same size. “Newsprint” is what the daily newspaper is printed on. Most art or craft supply stores carry blank newsprint tablets that artists sometimes use as sketch pads. You can check with your local printer for daily or weekly newspapers… very often they will have what they call rear ends: remnants of once huge rolls of paper that are now too short to put back on the press. A pound shouldn’t cost more than a dollar or so, and a pound will cost a long way. They might even give you a handful. Most newspaper press keepers will do a few blanks and folds before they start applying the ink, just to make sure everything lines up. All those blank newspapers go into a really big recycling bin. There’s no harm in asking!

I prefer newspaper because fragile dried flowers are unlikely to stick to it because the modern type has a hard surface. Photocopier paper, on the other hand, is more porous, rough, and delicate petals can hang down in texture.

Now comes an important step. Remember the holes you drilled in the corners for the bolts? The corners of both the cardboard and the newsprint need to be trimmed to accommodate the hardware. Of course, it should go without saying, but here it comes anyway: be very careful with those scissors! Yes, surgeons can sew fingertips back together, but the process leaves a huge scar; more than one knows it from personal experience.

All that’s left is to take a trip to your local hardware store and buy four 4-inch long 1/8″ bolts (a little smaller or a little bigger, it doesn’t matter, as long as they’re long enough), 4 nuts butterfly (you can finger-tighten them instead of having to use a wrench or pliers), and 8 appropriately sized washers.

Now what? Very easy! The ideal flower for pressing is one that has very few lumps. You wouldn’t have much luck, for example, with a rose, daffodil, begonia, or cluster of geranium flowers. On the other hand, among the best are pansies and violas. Violets, individual geranium florets, and hydrangea seem made to be pressed. There are plenty of others just as adept at the technique…and don’t forget little bits of grass seed heads, tiny ferns, and interestingly shaped or colorful leaves. Let your imagination fly.

That’s how:

* Slide a washer onto each of the four bolts and slide them through the four holes in a piece of wood. Place it on a table with the threaded ends of the bolts pointing toward the ceiling.

* Place a sheet of cardboard cutout, followed by a sheet of newspaper on top of that piece of wood… between the studs.

*Now place your flowers so they are not touching each other…be careful of bent petals or anything that looks unnatural.

* Gently place a sheet of newspaper on top of them, followed by another piece of cardboard. Lay down another sheet of newspaper…ready for your next layer of flowers.

* Continue building: cardboard, newsprint, flowers, newsprint, cardboard, etc., until you are halfway through.

* Now gently slide a second piece of wood down over the studs as a rigid center brace and continue building layer upon layer until all 12 cardboard pieces have been used.

* Finally, slide the last piece of wood over the studs, place a washer on each, and turn the wing nuts until snug. At this point, it might help to press the center of the stack with the palm of your hand as you continue to tighten the nuts.

The purpose here is to gently flatten the flowers… but not to squash all the ripples on the cardboard. Done? Ok, time to be patient and dream about what you are going to do with your pressed flowers. Place your press with your precious cargo in a dry place at room temperature with some air circulation. Keep him away from excessive heat and high humidity…and keep his shirt on.

Because the cardboard has corrugations, air is allowed to move through each of those little “tunnels,” evaporating the moisture that is drawn from the flowers by the dried spacer materials. And because the process is quite fast, almost all of the original color of the flower is preserved.

How long? For very small or light blooms with low humidity, 2-3 days is usually enough. Thicker petals may take a little longer. Gently loosen the four wing nuts, remove the first layer of wood, and very carefully lift the newspaper by the corner and “peek” at the flowers. If they’re dry, you’ll know right away – they’ll lift easily, and if you’re not careful, they can blow off the table in the slightest breeze. If they seem to “stick” to the paper, carefully put everything back together and wait a couple more days.

So what do you do now? We started by using clear adhesive vinyl that is sold as shelf paper. Later, we bought a plastic laminator at Staples for just under $100. Most copy shops (“Quick-Prints”) have laminators and will be happy to stamp anything you bring that will fit in their machine. Some of these big machines use a hot process… some cold. I personally don’t think it matters. I know some hardworking crafters who use the same plastic sealing bags (Staples, again) and a clothes iron to dry a little below the hottest setting. A very flat surface and a sheet of stiff, smooth paper on each side should do the trick. If it were me I’d give it a try a few times before going in with my best pressed flower samples!

Finally, don’t forget to look at the photos of this process using the link below. When you get there, click on each photo for a closer view. Enjoy! And why not share your pressed flower bookmarks with a book lover or recluse. Them Will be appreciated!