Preserving homemade flowers allows you to keep their beauty long after they've bloomed. One effective method is using silica gel to carefully dry and maintain their shape.
Preserving Flowers with Silica Gel
Silica gel is a desiccant, meaning it absorbs moisture. By carefully burying flowers in silica gel within an airtight container, you can remove the water from the petals and stems without causing the flower to shrink or lose its vibrant color and form as much as air drying might.
Here are the steps to preserve your flowers using this method, based on the provided information:
- Prepare the Container: Form a base of silica gel in an airtight container.
- Place the Flowers: Carefully nestle your blooms into the layer of silica gel base. Ensure they are positioned exactly how you want them to dry.
- Add More Silica Gel: Gently pour more silica gel around the petals and stem. Be meticulous during this step to make sure the natural shape of the flower is not compromised or flattened by the weight or flow of the gel.
- Completely Cover: Keep filling the container with silica gel until the flowers are completely covered, full to the top.
- Seal the Container: Tightly seal the container with its lid to make it airtight. This prevents external moisture from entering and allows the silica gel to effectively absorb the moisture from the flowers.
This process carefully extracts moisture, helping the flowers retain their intricate details and color better than some other drying methods. Once dried (which can take several days depending on the flower size and moisture content), you can carefully remove the flowers from the gel.
