Ways to Preserve Funeral Flowers

Flowers are more than pretty colors. They can symbolize cultures or virtues in a person. Flowers have meaning, especially on a holiday. The flowers received from a funeral of a loved one may be hard to get rid of. Watching them die can bring about another meaning and sadness. So, how can you hold onto funeral flowers before they die? Here are ways to preserve funeral flowers.

Simple ways to preserve funeral flowers

1. Hang them. After the flowers start to lose a bit of color and are beginning to droop, or even are perfectly fine, they can hang upside down. This dries them out, helps them keep their color, and can be done with a few, one at a time, or a whole bouquet. Just make sure to have near-dried stems before hanging them. One way people do this is by tying a string around them, like twine or yarn, and taping that to the wall. If you want to avoid flattening them, you could hang the string on a doorknob or off a railing, like your closet.
2. Bookmarks. One flower works perfectly for a bookmark. Dry it out, maybe hang it upside down to keep the color, and place it in a book. Over time these will flatten out.
   1. Here is a suggestion from MasterClass, “Press flowers: For this method choose fatter flowers like hydrangeas, which will flatten best. Get a heavy book, open it up, and put a piece of parchment paper on top of the left page and another piece on top of the right page. Place your flowers on top of the right piece of parchment paper, and gently close the book. Let the pressed flowers sit for a week, and then remove them. The flowers will be delicate so remove and work with them carefully.” HGTV also lists a few tips on pressing flowers.

The Pioneer Woman also has a blog from June 3rd, 2024 on how to dry flowers. Find that guide here!

Artsy ways to preserve funeral flowers

HGTV is another source for the artsy community. Here’s one way you can preserve funeral flowers, with sand.

“Similar to the silica gel technique, fine sand can be used to preserve flowers. Since sand is heavy, you can only use this preserving technique with hardy flowers and foliage.

• • Pour a half-inch layer of sand into a sturdy box.
  • Lay the flowers or foliage and stems on the sand.
  • Slowly pour sand around, under and over each part of the flower — the flowers must be completely covered.
  • Allow two weeks for the flowers to dry, then remove the sand.”

Here are two ideas from MasterClass,

1. “Use a desiccant: You can get a desiccant, such as a silica gel, from a craft store or florist. Cut your flower’s stem and remove any foliage from it. Get an airtight container and pour in an inch of your desiccant. Then, carefully place your flower in the desiccant. Add in a little more desiccant without covering the flower and tightly seal the container. Depending on the flower size, it may be dry in two to seven days.”
2. “Resin: After drying flowers, you can cast the full blooms or petals in an epoxy resin mold as a keepsake.” HGTV gives tips on how to use resin as well.

Resin is popular among artists who use that method to make different decorations. One local artist resource for resin and sculpture artwork is Aves. Check out their products if you are an artist!

For further ideas, read a past blog of ours here.

Bakken-Young is here for funeral planning and support

Bakken-Young is more than a funeral home. We are here to support you before, during, and after your loss. We have many resources to help you as you carry your grief. You don’t have to go through this alone, we want to help. Contact us. Let’s find something that works for you, whether it is grief support groups, webinars, or something else. Contact us today.

Sources:

How to Preserve Flowers: 5 Flower Preservation Methods by MasterClass

How to Dry Flowers and Preserve Their Beauty from HGTV