how to press flowers + what you can do with them

Pressing flowers is a rewarding craft that transforms delicate blooms into lasting keepsakes. From personal experience, starting with fresh flowers is key—pat them dry carefully to avoid mold and trim stems for easier pressing. Using parchment paper and a heavy book as a press, then stacking more weight on top, ensures a good flattening over about two weeks. Once your flowers are pressed, the possibilities are endless. Besides adding them to junk journals, I love creating handmade gift tags. Simply glue pressed flowers onto cardstock, add a little ribbon, and you have a thoughtful, nature-inspired tag. Another favorite is embedding them in resin to make charms or coasters. This method preserves the flowers beautifully and creates lovely gifts or keepsakes. For those who keep planners or scrapbooks, pressing flowers adds a personal and aesthetic touch. Applying mod podge over pressed blooms secures them and adds a glossy finish. I've also experimented with framing small pressed flower arrangements in shadow boxes, which makes delicate wall art that brightens any room. You might even want to try making clear phone cases with embedded flowers for a unique daily accessory. The key is to be patient and gentle during the pressing process and then let your creativity flow with different craft ideas. Pressed flowers not only preserve natural beauty but also add emotional value and creativity to everyday items.