Drying flowers for artwork - Everything you need to get started

Want to start creating stunning little botanical artwork with real flowers?

Here's a quick breakdown of all the supplies you need to start your journey.

1. Plants // Straight from the garden or as fresh as possible. Start out with simple plants like violas, ranunculus petals, rose leaves or weed(don’t knock them, they are free and surprisingly cool). Warning- ensure you have permission to collect flowers if they are not on your property. There are big fines for this.

2. Books // A nice thick book with smooth inner pages that are free from plastic. Be sure to check that the pages aren’t glossy as they will not work for drying plants. Hardcover is best but softcover works well too.

3. Food dehydrator or a warm, well-ventilated space // The faster you can dry your flowers without overheating them, the better colours you will have.

4. Sharp scissors or sectors// The less damage you inflict on your plants the better the outcome once dried.

5. Paper towel // The perfect way to remove water from the outside of your plants without hurting them.

6. Silica gel// Fine grade silica gel will give the best results for drying 3D plants.

7. An Airtight container// something that has a silicone seal at the top with a click seal is ideal to ensure no moisture enters the container while in use. You want the silica gel to be absorbing the moisture from just your plants.

Where can I buy these supplies?

On Elle-Rose’s website, she sells kits with pre-dried flowers and also flower drying kits which come with all the tools you need and detailed instructions. Check them out here!

If you would like to find your own we suggest the following-

For plants scout your backyard. You might be surprised at what is actually there. If that fails, try a local florist, grandma's house or somewhere similar. Always get permission before collecting plants that are not yours.

For books check your bookshelf for older books you didn’t enjoy or no longer want. Failing this stop by a second-hand store or a book exchange like the one in Guildford.

Scissors, paper towels, and airtight containers can be found at your local supermarket.

A good food dehydrator can be found at Myer, Target, Big W, or Kmart. Just be sure that the temp can go down to 45C.

Silica gel can be found at www.silicagel.com.au

Interested in learning more about how to work with plants? Come along to one of our workshops and Elle-Rose will teach you everything you need to know. Sign-up below to find out when our next Pressed Flower Workshop is.

House of Hobby xx

All photos and information provided by Elle-Rose from Elle-Rose Art