Press Flowers and Leaves in a Book: 5 Easy Steps

I think it happens to all of us, yes? We spend so much time doing things we have to do that we forget to leave time to do things that bring us back to feeling the way we really want to feel. A big yawn is coming up when you try to tackle your latest creative project. You have many that you’ve started and never finished either because you’ve lost interest or simply because you have no time.

Creativity is weird because it’s an outlet that can get our energy moving again by opening our sacral chakra, and yet, it’s something most of us avoid. Does this sound like you? I’m guessing it may which is why I wanted to share a quick and easy-pressed flower craft project that I fall back on every summer when my creative muscles need to be stretched. Making pressed flowers in a book is one of the best ways to press flowers and is an easy go-to decor DIY when I want something new and can’t seem to get unstuck for whatever reason. I hope it helps you feel re-energized creatively as well.

Even though flowers can be dried, there is something so 'fresh' about them. In this post, learn how to re-energize your creativity and open your sacral chakra by easily pressing flowers and leaves at home using books. In just 5 quick steps you can create beautiful, pressed flowers that can be used for candles, framed art, jewellery, sun catchers or any other home decor DIY craft project.

You can download the Pressing Flowers Guide below by right-clicking on the image and saving it to your computer.

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PICK FLOWERS

In my post about picking barnyard daisies, I talked about picking flowers on a sunny day either in the morning or evening avoiding the heat of the day. Also, it’s important to make sure they are not wet from dew or the color will run, and the flowers may mold instead of dry out. You’ll also want to pick flowers free of blemishes and press the flowers as soon as you can to avoid wilting.

If you’re a beginner, it’s good to start with pressing leaves, pansies, daisies, or violets.

PREPARE YOUR BOOK

I’ve made the mistake of placing flowers in between the pages of a novel. It worked fine except that when I went to remove them, the flowers were stuck to the pages and had left stains on my book! To avoid this, line your pages with plain white paper or parchment paper to avoid staining.

PLACE FLOWERS FACE DOWN

Careful placement of the flower on the page is a must if you want to see the full bloom when it's dried. I find placing them face down works the best before I gently close the book. If you have several flowers on a page it may be a bit tricky but just be careful as you’re closing the book and they should be fine.

PLACE WEIGHT ON TOP OF YOUR BOOK

To get dried pressed flowers or leaves, you have to ‘press’ them! I know it sounds simple, but I’ve also made the mistake of not pressing them hard enough. I had picked some beautiful big green leaves for pressing and I put them between two flat cardboard boxes. Unfortunately, there was not enough weight to the boxes as the leaves dried, curled up, and wrinkled. To avoid this, make sure you use something heavy. I like using blocks of Himalayan salt, extra books, bricks, or furniture! One time my daughter put the book with flowers under the leg of our couch until they were dry. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing this but if you have a heavy piece of furniture you don’t use, try it.

LET THEM DRY

Even though it may be tempting to peek at your creation, don’t. It’s best to leave the flowers drying undisturbed for 7-10 days. It’s ok to leave them longer than that if you don’t have a safe place to store them. Make sure that when you open your book you are careful as the flowers will easily fall out and could break or get damaged.