You don’t need to throw your Valentine flowers away; you can preserve them and make them last forever.
Whether it was your beau, your dad, or brother who gave you a bouquet of flowers on Valentine’s Day, we can all agree when we say we all want to cherish that special moment. So, while flowers inevitably wither, it doesn’t mean that we cannot immortalize the flowers they gave.
Fortunately, there have been multiple ways of how we can properly preserve our Valentine flowers. Now, the process of preserving flowers highly depends on when you start the process. You have to take note if the petals have fallen off or did the rose already turn brown? That’s because the best time to preserve them is when they are in full bloom. Here, we outline three easy-peasy ways how you can do just that.
Press The Flowers
We normally see pressed flowers in movies and books. It’s always the woman’s way of preserving the flowers gifted to her by her knight in shining armor—sometimes even her unrequited love. And while this may sound cheesy, pressing flowers has been a tradition that has been done way back to commemorate such a romantic act by one’s lover.
So, if you’d want to preserve your bouquet a la medieval times, just spread your chosen flowers on a clean wax paper. After which, lay the wax paper with the flowers inside the pages of a heavy book such as a textbook or an encyclopedia (if you still have that at home). Then weigh it down with something heavy or store them in a really tight spot on your bookshelf. After a week or so, your bouquet is finally ready to be placed in a glass frame.
Dip It In Wax
Unlike other ways of preserving your flowers, dipping them in melted wax is the easiest way and doesn’t need you to buy any other materials to achieve your goal. The best time to dip your roses is at the very end of their shelf life when the rose is in full bloom.
The first thing you do is to fill a microwavable container with wax flakes. Now, this is the best time for you to use your leftover scented candles that don’t have any scent anymore. Microwave the wax for 2 minutes or until it is totally melted. Then that’s the only time you should dip your flowers. The final step is to let them cool in an upright position so that they can keep their shape properly.
Use Epoxy Resin
Personally, I find preserved flowers in epoxy resin the chicest way one could do it. That’s because you get to choose your own mold to make a perfect conversation starter in your home. From a spherical shape to an obelisk, it’s as if you’re creating a sculpture while keeping alive that special moment.
So first, you need to find a mold from a craft store. Once you’ve finally settled with a certain shape you want to achieve, fill it halfway up with resin. Place the flowers inside the resin in the arrangement you want, then Fill the rest of the mold in with resin until it hardens. But please keep in mind that resin is a potent chemical that can be dangerous to breathe in, so make sure to wear a face mask or something that could cover your nose and mouth.
