Create a standout dried flower arrangement you’ll enjoy evermore.
When designing your dried floral arrangement think about colour, texture and height. Select flowers and foliage in various sizes and colours for visual interest and remember if something isn’t looking right, gently pull it out and place it somewhere else.
Flowers that dry well:
- Roses, hydrangeas, gomphrena (globe amaranths), strawflowers, achillea (yarrows), statice (sea lavender), eryngium (sea holly) and gypsophila (baby’s breath) hold their colour well.
- Palm leaves, toe toe and ornamental grasses are good for texture and height.
Drying flower tips:
- Air dry flowers by hanging them upside down on a length of dowel. Make sure the stems are straight and the flowers aren’t too blown out. The best time to dry flowers, such as roses, is just before they begin to fully open.
- Make sure the flowers don’t hang too close together so that air can circulate between them and keep them out of direct sunlight.
- Drying flowers in a dark room will help preserve their colour.
- Leave flowers to dry for 2-4 weeks.
You’ll need:
Vase/vessel – an opaque glass or ceramic one
works best so you don’t
see the stems
Chicken wire or floral netting
Flower snips
Dried flowers and foliage
Step by step guide:
Prepare the vase by arranging the floral netting or chicken wire at the neck. Make sure it is secure.
Start the arrangement with foliage, which will help to frame and shape the look. We created an asymmetrical form, where one side is higher than the other.
Add in flowers to break up the foliage and bring in some colour. Think about balancing out the arrangement with texture, colour and height.
Lastly, add height with seed pods or single stems.
Project and styling by Sam Van Kan. Photography by Wendy Fenwick, Flash Studio.