Roses often symbolize a special event. You may want to keep it as a token of the moment, but the roses will wilt in just a few weeks. Drying roses from a wedding, dance party, or own garden is a great way to create a souvenir that will last for years.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Airing the Roses
Step 1. Choose roses with good flower clusters to dry
The rose should have a good flower arrangement but also not damp or damaged. Moisture will cause mold and damage to the flower cluster will be more widespread in the drying process. You can use roses with slightly open flower clusters, but don't use roses that have started to break and have fallen off.
Step 2. Cut the stems of the roses
You will need to cut the stems of the roses, but not too short. Leave about 15 cm or so of stalks for drying. Remove the leaves from the stems. The leaves do not dry well and must be removed.
The leaves also retain water and will slow down the drying process
Step 3. Tie the rose stem with a rubber band
Gather all the roses to be dried and tie the stems with a rubber band. Leave the stalk 5 cm long under the rubber band. Continue tying the stem with the rubber band until it is tight.
You can arrange roses into a beautiful bouquet before drying so they are ready to be displayed
Step 4. Attach the clothesline in a cool, dark place
Look for a place that is rarely used, such as a laundry room, attic, or closet for household appliances. The room should be well ventilated to let moisture out. Stretch a clothesline or rope between 2 points in the room and tie it tightly. Make sure the rope is strong enough to hold the rose.
The place to choose is a dark place. The color of the roses will darken in the drying process, but exposure to light will increase the discoloration, while using a dark room will reduce the discoloration of the roses
Step 5. Hang the roses on hangers
Pull the rubber band used to tie the rose to attach to the hanger hook. If there is a coat hanger with an extra hook under the hanging hook, you can tie a rose in that section. If you don't have one, pull the rosette rubber band to attach it to the hanger hook.
Step 6. Hang the roses on a clothesline for 2-3 weeks
Hook the hanger on a clothesline in a dark room and allow it to dry. It can take several weeks for the roses to dry completely.
Step 7. Preserve roses with hairspray
If the rose is dry, it will be brittle. Remove it from the hanger and spray it with hairspray to strengthen and protect it from damage.
- Use an odorless hairspray when spraying roses.
- Spray the roses lightly so that the freshly dried roses don't get wet.
Method 2 of 2: Using a Desiccant to Dry the Roses
Step 1. Select the desired desiccant
A desiccant is a sand-like textured material that absorbs rose moisture to dry quickly and evenly. There are several materials to choose from, such as borax, cornstarch, alum, and a commonly used option, silica gel.
This method is also effective using sand
Step 2. Cut the rose stems about 5 cm
Roses should be placed in an airtight container with the flower clusters facing up in the container. Cut the rose stems about 5 cm and try to put them in a container, making sure the roses can fit into the container so that it can be closed.
If the rose is too long, trim the stem again to fit into the container
Step 3. Insert the roses with a desiccant
Pour the desiccant 5 cm high into the container. Press the rose stem into the desiccant so that the rose can stand with the flower cluster facing up.
If you are drying more than one rose in a container, make sure there is at least 2 inches (5 cm) of space between each rose
Step 4. Cover the rose with desiccant
Using a small cup, pour more desiccant over the flower bunch to cover it. Make sure the desiccant fills the space between the petals. If the rose falls to the side, use a spoon to bring it back into balance.
Step 5. Leave the roses in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks
Cover the container with an airtight lid. You will also need to glue the paper tape to the rim of the container to make it tighter. Leave regular-sized roses for 2 weeks. Small roses will dry for 1 week.
Write the date when you closed the container on the side of the container with a fountain pen
Step 6. Remove the roses from the container and clean the desiccant
Slowly pour the contents of the container over the cake pan. Take the rose by the stem and wipe off any excess desiccant until the rose is clean. Gently clean the petals with a brush if the desiccant material is still attached.
- If there is still desiccant on the rose, pour it over the area to remove the desiccant from the rose.
- Pouring silica desiccant into cake pans is useful in preparation for baking silica for reuse.
Step 7. Bake the silica desiccant for reuse
Silica desiccants show signs of moisture if their color fades or changes. If the silica has faded, the blue has turned pink, or the orange has turned green, you will need to dry it by baking the desiccant.
- Pour the desiccant into a microwave-safe bowl. Set the microwave to medium heat or defrost. Heat the desiccant for 2-3 minutes or until the color returns as a sign that it is ready to use.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave using oven mitts. The bowl and desiccant get very hot. Let it cool on a heat-resistant surface for 24 hours.
- If the desiccant shows signs of moisture due to the humid environment, you can bake it before using it for the first time.
