What is the best way to dry flower petals?

I want to be able to use the petals as confetti

What is the best way to dry flower petals?
Hanging Method, Flat Method, Upright Method, Pressing Flowers, Drying with Silica Gel All these methods of drying flowers are covered below.





Drying your own florals is not only great for decorating and floral arrangements, they look great while drying too. Find a dry place to hang a peg board and display your florals with a little raffia or jute tied around the stems while they are drying.





Hanging Method:


Select florals that are almost in full bloom and remove any damaged petals. Remove some of the lower leaves, and wrap a small bunch of florals together with twist ties and over the twist tie, wrap a piece of raffia or jute around and tie in a bow.. Hang your florals to dry completely and you can even just leave them hanging to look extra pretty.





Flat method of drying:


(See Diagram 1 below)


Some florals don't dry well with the hanging method and require some special care for this method of drying, you will need some floral wire and tape to add back stems once your florals are dry. This type of drying is good for carnations, daisies, moms, etc. You will need to make a box with a little chicken wire to hold your florals. Any box will do and just add a piece of chicken wire or something similar to the top of the box. The openings in the wire must be large enough to accomodate the stems of the flowers. To dry, cut the tops of your florals, leaving about 1-2 inches of the stem attached (this makes it easier to attach floral wire and tape once they are dry).


Place your flowers on top of the wire allowing the stems to fall through the holes. Once they are completely dry attach a piece of floral wire with floral tape to extend the stems.





Upright method of drying:


Some florals can be left in a container or vase to dry. Baby's breath, statice, tall grasses, eucalyptus, etc can be dried by just leaving them in an empty vase until they dry completely.





Protecting your dried florals:


This is easy... once your florals are completely dry, just spritz a little cheap pump style hairspray on the entire floral. You can purchase products designed specifically for dried florals, but I have found hairspray works just fine.





Storing Your Dried Florals:


Storing your florals is very important. You've taken the time to dry them perfectly and tossing them in box will damage them. Here's some helpful hints for storing; wrap small bunches of the same flower in tissue paper and tie the tissue closed with a little string or raffia. Store them in box, stacking them very carefully rotating the floral ends. Your local florist may even provide you with a floral box and these boxes are perfect for storing your dried florals.
Reply:does depend on the flower a bit, but pressing will give you lovely flat papery petals that flutter nicely. Many flower petals will scrumple up if you dry them normally by hanging teh flowers upside down or spreading the petals out to dry in a shady place, but pressing avaoids that and helps keep the colour. Some flowers, like everlasting, need very little preparation, and dry easily without much crumpling. Rose and lavender makes good confetti :)
Reply:spritz with hair spray and microwave in 20 second intervals. Try a test batch first. You can dry them on a cookie sheet in an oven over time with just the oven light on, if you have more time.
Reply:spread them into pages of a large book' put a large waight on top and leave till dry.
Reply:put in book an close or if your just going to grind them up put them in the sun will dry out fast
Reply:press them between blotting paper