Pressing flowers is a delightful and timeless hobby that allows you to preserve flowers from the season, your garden and sentimental flowers from a loved one. While there are various methods to press flowers, one of the most accessible and cost-effective techniques involves using books.

Why do we press flowers in books?

1. Accessibility, we almost always have old books laying around.
2. It’s a fun surprise when you forget about them and you or someone else finds them much later.
3. The uniform pressure and the paper helps with absorbency of the flowers as they dry. 
4. Book are easy to stack and store, they don’t take up extra space in your home. 

Successful Flower Pressing with Books

Choose the Right Flowers:
Not all flowers are suitable for pressing with books. I suggest that you opt for flowers with thin petals and minimal moisture content, such as pansies, violets, daisies, or ferns. Avoid thick or fleshy blooms, as they may not press well and will mold. Single rose petals also press great in books!

Prepare Flowers Properly:
Harvest your flowers early in the morning or when they are at their freshest. Remove excess leaves and stems and arrange the blooms between sheets of paper parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to the book pages.

Use the Right Books:
When selecting books for pressing flowers, choose ones with thick, absorbent pages. Old phone books, dictionaries, or encyclopedias are excellent choices. Ensure that the books are clean and free from any moisture or debris that could transfer onto the flowers.

Arrange Flowers Carefully:
Place your flowers flat between the pages of the book, ensuring they are evenly spaced. Close the book gently, being cautious not to damage the delicate blooms. Place additional weight on top, such as more books or heavy objects, to provide consistent pressure.

Patience and Timing:
The pressing process takes time, typically around two to three weeks. Store the book in a dry, cool place, and avoid opening it during the first week to allow the flowers to dry completely. Check the progress periodically. 

Additional pro tips for getting started: 

1. Use old books as the flowers damage can happen to them...If you don't have any laying around check your local thrift store!
2. Heavy hard-covered books work best...the bigger the better IMO! 
3. Put weight or layer additional books on top to keep the pages as flat as possible and prevent to much air flow which will make petals shrivel up.
4. Leave space between the pages so you don't overload the book to prevent mold and damage to the flowers.
5. Use additional paper between the flowers in the pages, this keeps flowers from sticking to the pages and  also makes to easily find your flowers after they are dry.  

Have more questions??? let me know below!

Happy pressing!
Ashley

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