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Flowers and resin are a match made in Heaven. Nothing wows and excites quite like a beautifully made piece with flowers effortlessly suspended in resin. Most especially if the flowers have sentimental meaning to you.
If you are interested in having flowers of your own preserved in a resin keepsake by me there are steps and considerations you need to take with your flowers to prepare them for resin.
Great resin pieces can make flowers look like they are fresh blooms that never die. That's the great illusion that resin gives. In reality, the flowers and foliage you are seeing are all dry. Anything with moisture that is encased in resin will rot over time. To prevent that, flowers must be completely dry.
Ideally you are able to get your fresh flowers to me as soon as possible. I have the supplies on hand to dry your flowers so you don't have to purchase supplies yourself. However, there are times where it's not practical to get your flowers to me within a day. In that case there are a few ways you can dry your flowers at home.
Silica
Silica is great for taking moisture out flowers, the air, and even the packages you get from Amazon. Silica is my go-to method for drying flowers.
You'll find small packets of silica often times in new shoe boxes. If you can find and keep these packets in anticipation of drying flowers you may be able to gather enough without having to purchase silica. Open the packets and pour them into an airtight container (think leftover food containers).
Cut off the blooms of your flowers at the top of the stem. Place them upright in the silica. If there are leaves on the stem add a few of those as well. Small foliage pieces add fantastic interest to a floral resin piece without distracting from the main blooms. Once all your blooms and foliage is in placed cover with additional silica and seal your airtight container.
Your flowers should be fine in your airtight container for a very long time. Most flowers take a minimum of 2-3 weeks to completely dry (as long as there is enough silica in the container).
If you need to purchase silica I have a few recommendations from Amazon. Flower Drying gives you the best bang for your buck. It comes in a 1.5 pound bag and the silica is reusable.
Dry and Dry comes in a 3 pound bag and is also reusable. I would recommend this if you are wanting to dry a lot of flowers.
Wisedry comes in a 5 pound bag. This size is probably overkill unless you suddenly develop a love for all things dried flowers.
For silica that multitasks, check out LotFancy. It does more than drying and preserving your flowers. It also comes with organza drawstring bags that can be used to put packets of the silica beads into areas of your house where you want to keep moisture to a minimum such as drawers, safes, closets, bathrooms, and gun safes. Even your gym bag!
You can also find silica in the floral section at most craft stores.
For your airtight container I recommend something shallow so your silica and your flowers can go further. This set from Snapware is a great example.
Air Drying
If you suddenly find yourself with flowers on hand that you want to preserve but have not been able to make any plans for their preservation you can try to air dry them. Bundle the stems together and hang them upside down in a dark dry room. I have this set of yellow roses hanging in my studio for example.
The results of air drying may vary depending on the moisture in the room whereas silica is a much surer method.
Food dehydrator
This is a method I have not tried myself. And to be honest I don't intend to try it at this point because 1) I have silica and it works great, 2) I don't have a food dehydrator and I'm not going to invest in one at this time, 3) I am not in a rush to get flowers dry in within a day, 4) silica dried flowers generally come out better than those dried in a dehydrator.
But if you have a food dehydrator and cannot get your fresh flowers to me to right away then using this method may be a good alternative for you. Check out Pinterest for the steps you need to take.
Microwave
Another alternative to silica, air drying, and the food dehydrator. Methods can be found online, but the results using the microwave usually are not as good as the other methods.
Pressed Flowers
Pressing your flowers can also achieve great results. All you need is something heavy (like a high school English textbook) and paper towels. Sandwich your flowers between two paper towels, and then place inside a large book. You may need to place heavy objects on top to ensure the pages are as flat as possible.
Like silica, this method could take 2-3 weeks. And I would recommend taking your pressed flowers and putting them in silica for a couple of days just to make sure all of the moisture is gone.
Pressed flowers is the preferred method if you are wanting a thinner piece such as jewelry or coasters made with your flowers.
Different flowers, different outcomes
Some flowers just dry better than others.
Red hues on a fresh flower tend to dry into a dark burgundy or even black once dried. Lighter hues on fresh flowers stay better. My purple mums today look exactly the same as they were last summer when I cut them from my grandma's garden. Be prepared for your flower colors to potentially change as they dry. It can be helpful to look up what your flowers may look like once dried online to see if they are even something you would like in resin.
Petal shapes can also change as they dry. Roses hold their petal shape rather well, but carnations tend to look shriveled when dried. Again, a search online can help you see what you could expect your flowers to look like once dried.
My sentimental flowers are dry but they look awful. What can I do?
Despite best efforts sometimes dried flowers come out like duds either due to change in color, petal shape, or other forces at play. This can be heartbreaking in the case of flowers that hold special meaning to you. We might not be able to save the flower so it can return to its former glory in a finished resin piece. But that doesn't mean we can't still use it.
With an open mind and some creativity we can still make a piece for you to treasure. Once I get your flowers I can dry them then add the crushed petals to pieces of your choosing. Some of my prettiest floral pieces I've made by using only crushed petals.
Risks
Anyone who has purchased a bouquet of flowers or managed a flowerbed knows that flowers can be difficult to work with at times. Throw in some resin which has its own unique challenges and we could end up anything from a masterpiece to a disaster. Nothing can be guaranteed even after your flowers have been successfully dried.
Changes in temperature can leave visible lines between clear resin layers. Pouring too much resin to try to prevent those lines can cause flash cures that will burn flowers. Other factors outside of our control can also ruin a resin piece.
For these reasons I do not personally recommend pieces that involve using your complete collection of special occasion flowers. If you are wanting your entire bridal bouquet preserved in resin I will always recommend alternatives that use only some of your flowers. This way if for any reason your first piece does not come out they way we had hoped we may be able to make another attempt. This is why I try to make some smaller pieces with your flowers in addition to your main piece. This way if the main piece does not work you'll still have something left from your sentimental flowers.
What flowers can I preserve in resin?
If we can dry it we can put in in resin. If you can dry and dehydrate a piece of pizza I can put in in resin (why, I don't know).
Funeral flowers are popular for resin preservation as a way of keeping the memory of a loved one close. Anniversary, birthday, and wedding flowers are also popular. Flowers brought back from vacation or from your own garden are also excellent candidates.
If you're interested in having your flowers preserved don't hesitate to message me on Facebook or email me at ashleyannzahn@gmail.com.
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