Everyone loves to have fresh flowers around the house. But all flowers have a limited shelf life. So what to do with dead flowers? Take a look at some of the things I’ve come up with that you can do with wilted flowers for some inspiration.
1. Make a Dry Bouquet
One of the easiest ways to preserve your flowers is by drying them. When you remove your bouquet from the vase, you should strip the foliage, thorns, and other parts that you don’t need. Then, trim the stems to any length shorter than six inches. You can hold them together with a rubber band or you can hang each flower individually. They will actually dry better if you hang them.
If you plan to hang the flowers upside down while they are drying, you can use unscented dental floss and hang them in a darker spot that has good airflow. In two to four weeks, they will be completely dry. Once they are dry, take them and create a decorative dry floral arrangement. You should spray them with unscented hairspray to prevent the petals from dropping.
2. Make Flower Petal Beads
People have been making flower petal beads for centuries. It takes the petals from 8 to 12 roses, along with distilled water, a large black frying pan, a blender, and thin wire nails. You can finish it with a sheet of foam or cork board.
Next, you can place the petals of the flowers into your frying pan. You also need a half cup of distilled water, and you will simmer it without letting it boil. This will soften the flowers. Continue to add water as you need to so that the flowers don’t dry out. Once the petals are all soft, you can turn it off and let them cool down.
Now, you will take the petals and place them in the blender with some water. At this point. You won’t be able to see fibers. If you add too much water, you should put the entire mixture back in the frying pan to heat it up and evaporate any extra moisture.
You can also dry the mix by spreading it on parchment paper. Place it in the oven when it is warm. You want to leave it there until it has the texture of smooth clay. Once this dough is ready, you should shape it into beads. Remember that they will shrink as they dry, and you should place a pin or nail through each bead and push them into your corkboard or foam. Make sure that you turn the pins as they dry.
After a few days, they will be ready, and you can make jewelry out of them. Just remember that you won’t be able to wear them in the shower because they will disintegrate if you get them super wet.
3. Put Them in a Frame
Once your flowers die, you can make them a permanent fixture in your home by placing them in a frame. You will need to dry them first. Make a homemade press, and you can gather the other items you want to use. Some people choose newspapers, coffee filters, or waxed paper books. Place the flowers between two pieces of absorbent paper, and arrange them however you want them to be when they are dried. You should remember to add newspaper to absorb the moisture.
Now you can apply the weight by placing the flowers between books. You can stack more up on top of them and then wait from two to three weeks for them to dry. Don’t open the book or look at them during this process.
Once they are dry, you can position them. You should know how you want to place them before you remove them and move them around. As you find the places where you want them to remain, you can use hot glue or double-sided tape.
You can place them in a frame, and this type of project looks great in a shadow box. You can also add other items to really make your art stand out.
4. You Can Make a Room Spray
If you use alcohol, essential oils, and several other ingredients, you can make a room spray. It is easy to do, and you can keep your room smelling fresh all the time. Combine distilled water and witch hazel in a 1:1 ratio. Then, you should add 15 to 30 drops of essential oils and shake it to mix. Add your dried flower petals to the bottle.
Although the flower petals are for decoration more than anything else, the room spray will smell great. It will last a long time, and you can use it throughout your home.
5. Decorate Your Phone Case
Another fun and simple project is taking your dead flowers and decorating your phone case. You will want a clear phone case, and you can dry the flowers so that they are ready for use. You can leave them loose so that they float throughout the case, or you can secure them with a clear adhesive. The glue needs to dry, but then you can put the case back on your phone.
6. Make Gift Wrapping Paper
If you want to make sure that your gifts stand out from others, you can take your dead flowers and make gift wrapping paper. One option is to affix the flowers to the gift. You will secure them by placing them under some ribbon. You can also use them throughout the tissue paper that you use to hold the gift in place inside the box. This adds a personal touch when you give gifts, and it shows that you care about the person you give the gift to.
7. Try Making Coasters
Coasters are a great accessory to have around the house. You can add a personal touch by making your own. Take your flowers and epoxy resin, and you can make floral coasters that rival anything you can buy in the store. Just make sure that your flowers are dried and pressed, and then look for a tutorial online to show you how to make the coaster like a professional.
8. Make a Wreath
It can be a lot of fun to make a floral wreath at home. You just need a grapevine wreath on a wire hoop, and it is easy to find these items at a local crafts store. You will also need floral wire and your dried flowers. Take the flowers and arrange them in small patterns, and then attach them to your wreath or wire hoop. You can add other items for embellishment, and then hang it up on the wall.
Final Words on What to Do with Dead Flowers
There are many different ways to repurpose your dead flowers. Once you dry them, you can use them for household cleaners, art, and more. You can create different items that are beautiful and functional, and they will add beauty to your home.