How to dry fresh, cut flowers using the air drying method. Whether it’s your bridal bouquet, an anniversary or Valentine’s Day gift, or a particularly beautiful bunch of flowers you’ve gathered from the garden, drying your flowers will help in preserving them for longer.

I’ve been collecting bouquets of flowers from the markets each Sunday to bring a bit of colour to my room and home, as flowers are one of my favourite things. But, I found that after about a week or so, they would start to wilt and I would have to throw them away into my compost.

I heard about ways to preserve flowers by drying them at home, as a way to retain their beauty, and I thought this would be perfect as it would mean I could keep the bouquet of dried flowers as decorations to fill every nook and corner of my home with beautiful blooms, and save some of that summer beauty when winter came along. Plus, these flowers were great arrangements to use in my photography!

If you’re looking to preserve beautiful flowers you’ve collected, too, here is one of my favourite methods for drying flowers.

Before we get started in learning how to dry and preserve cut flowers at home, if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!

How to Dry and Preserve Cut Flowers

Air drying is a simple method which involves hanging bouquets of flowers upside down and letting nature work its magic. This method is best for full flower arrangements with the stems intact, or robust flowers such as roses. For other ways to dry flowers at home, depending on the type of flower used, see here.

How to Air Dry Cut Flowers

When it comes to air drying flowers, avoid flowers with a lot of water content. They tend not to dry all that well, and rot before they finish drying out properly.

The best types of flowers for air drying include African marigolds, anise, banksia, bottlebrush, billy buttons, cornflowers, celosia, dahlias, everlasting daisies, eucalyptus, gypsophila (Baby’s Breath), gomphrena, globe thistle, gum, hyssop, hydrangeas, kangaroo paw, Lady’s Mantle, larkspur, lavender, Love in a Mist, poppies, proteas, roses, starflowers, strawflowers, statice (or sea lavender), wattle, yarrow, and small yellow flowers like buttercups.

Here’s the steps to take when air drying flowers:

1. To dry fresh, cut flowers, begin by harvesting the flowers in the morning, when the flowers are at their freshest and the dew has dried from the petals and leaves. Pick the blooms that are not yet fully open, as they will open more as they dry. To help the flowers retain their colour during the drying process, make sure to remove them from sunlight as soon as they’re cut.
2. Gather the flowers in small bunches by the stem and secure them with a piece of twine, string, or a rubber band. If you’ve bought fresh flowers from the markets (like me), they may already come tied together at the stem, so you can skip this step.
3. Strip any excess foliage from flowers and cut the stems to your desired length (no shorter than six inches, or 15 centimetres).
4. Hang the flowers upside down in a dark, dry place that receives good air circulation. Keep them away from sunlight to retain some of their vivid colours. Make sure that your bunches are not too close together to ensure air can move freely between the flowers.
5. Leave flowers to dry for two to four weeks, or until completely dry. You will notice the flowers start to change colour, going from bright and vibrant to brown or dull yellow.
6. When the stems are easy to snap, they are finished drying.
7. Once dry, remove the flowers from their hangers and, as an optional step, give them a quick spritz with unscented hairspray for protection, to help prevent them from crumbling too easily.

Please note that the flowers will shrink and crinkle during this process as the moisture evaporates. This method can be a hit or miss, as you can lose flowers in the process to mould if not enough air flow is achieved. It is recommended to dry more flowers than you think you will need as a way to compensate for the ones that will inevitably be lost along the way.

As always, none of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA and is not meant to diagnose, cure, or treat any condition. This is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post.

Have you dried flowers before? How did it go? What method did you use? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

Vanessa