How to press flowers, and keep something of the day

To press flowers, arrange suitable flowers or leaves flat between absorbent papers, apply even pressure and leave them in a dry place until the moisture has gone. A flower press makes the layers easy to keep together. You can also begin with paper and heavy books.

Choose something ordinary for your first attempt. A garden viola or a small leaf gives you room to learn before you try preserving the one flower you cannot replace. Decide what you want to make, too. A bookmark asks for a different arrangement from a whole-page botanical record.

Choose the flower, then the method

The Natural History Museum's flower-pressing guide explains that bulky plants can be harder to press and that even contact with the paper matters. Thin flowers and modest leaves make a sensible starting point. Start with plants from your own garden or flowers you have permission to use.

Look at the outline before you flatten it. Decide whether you want the flower face-on or in profile. Arrange petals and leaves while you can still move them easily. A crowded layer is harder to inspect and may leave shapes overlapping in ways you didn't intend.

Build a small, even stack

The RHS pressing guide describes layers of absorbent paper and card held under pressure. The purpose is to remove moisture while keeping the material flat. Leave space between specimens and keep the pressure even across the layer.

With Pressed Walk, the natural-tone boards are held together by bolts and washers, with internal pressing papers supplied. Arrange suitable flowers between the papers, close the boards and tighten evenly. Keep the press dry between uses. Flowers and finished artwork aren't included.

Make the first batch small enough that you can remember what is where. Put a dated note beside the press or keep a simple page in a notebook. If you open several layers at once, rest them in order on a clear table so you don't lose track.

How long does it take to press flowers?

The Natural History Museum gives a range from a few days to several weeks, depending on the plant and drying conditions. Readiness is about the specimen being dry, rather than completing a fixed number of days. Check gently; dried material can be brittle.

Don't plan an irreplaceable gift around an exact finish date on your first attempt. Begin earlier and allow for a trial. If a thick specimen is proving awkward, return to a thinner flower or leaf before assuming you need a larger press.

Make a record worth keeping

A pressed flower can become more interesting with a small amount of context. Write down the date, the place it came from and its name if you know it. Leave the name blank rather than guessing. The museum explains how those details make a botanical specimen more useful.

For a personal page, add something only you could have noticed: who gave you the flowers, the colour of the pot they grew in, or what else was flowering nearby. Keep that note separate from identification. A memory and a plant name do different jobs.

You might keep one page for each month, or one small card from an occasion. Leave space around each specimen. An entire bouquet does not have to fit onto a single sheet to preserve something of the day.

What to try next

Repeat the same method with a different leaf and compare the result. Keep the useful failures: a folded petal or an overfull layer tells you what to adjust. If you'd like to follow plants while they are growing, our guide to water propagation starts with a stem cutting and a clear vessel.