Press flowers to keep them forever

After my grandmother passed a few months ago, I felt a strong urge to preserve the things that made me feel close to her. I have letters she had written me from a decade ago about how she was ready for me to leave NYC because it was too busy and dangerous, and recipes that I’m so thankful I had the foresight to write down before her memory started to fade, although my attempts at her dishes are never quite the same.

After the funeral, I came back to DC with a bouquet of flowers from her homegoing ceremony and was committed to making them last. This is how I preserved the flowers so they will last a lifetime and remind me of the never-ending warmth of her love.

1. Carefully cut down the stems to an inch or less. Most flowers are thick like roses, so you’ll want to cut them in half so they can lay down flatter.
2. Line pages of a book with white or solid colored paper.

1. Place the flowers in a thick book. I did several flowers, so I used one book for each flower.

1. Stack the books (if you are pressing several flowers), and put something heavy on top of the books to help flatten and press the flowers. I used two 5 lb. weights that worked perfectly.

1. Keep the books closed for 3-4 weeks to allow the flowers to dry out and finish pressing completely. DO NOT OPEN THE BOOKS WHILE PRESSING.
2. Once completed, take the flowers out very carefully as they are fragile.

1. Place them in the decorative framing that you’d like. Use a small bit of tape to secure the back of the flowers to a frame or poster.
2. That’s it! The color and shape is now preserved forever.