For exigent satisfaction in craft , nothing beats drying flower in the microwave . The materials are cheap , with the elision of silica gel – which can be supersede by either pot litter or a Indian meal - borax mix . The physical process take only a few minutes of preparation and heating , and an overnight wait period for the drying process to finish up . The microwave technique results in " dry out efflorescence that look fresher and more colorful than those find by other method acting , " fit in to the University of Missouri Extension ( UME ) .
Step 1
Pick efflorescence in the morning , after the dew dries . bring through especially prominent or chummy - petaled flowers like roses or hydrangeas for another form of drying ; they do n’t answer well to the microwave method .
Step 2
Sort and pick over the flowers , take away insects and dirt particles . Discard any diseased or poorly - shaped heyday . " impairment only becomes more obvious after drying , " notes the UME .
Step 3
Remove go out from the bloom ’s stems . You may end up cut short the bow for your craft later on , but it ’s reassuring to have the option of a shank for wreaths and vertical arrangements .
Step 4
organise your drying agent . pick out either commercial silica gel , kitty bedding material ( the bag should call itself " dust - devoid " or " dustless " ) or a combination of equal parts whitened Indian meal and borax .
Step 5
Pour 4 cups of desiccant into a deep - sided microwave oven - good container – either a casserole dish or bowl .
Step 6
murder a portion of the desiccant or so adequate to the astuteness and width of your prime .
Step 7
Place the blossom into the resulting hole in the siccative , and gently insure the flower with the eternal sleep of the desiccant .
Step 8
Make a second clinical depression for another flower , if room permits . In general , dry prime in slew of two small flowers or one big blossom .
Step 9
Put a small cupful of urine in the microwave . Steam from the heated water prevents over - drying of the plant material .
Step 10
Place the casserole dishful or bowlful comprise flowers and desiccant into the microwave . Do not cover the container .
Step 11
Heat small or thinly - petaled flowers for 1 instant and larger , thicker flowers or efflorescence brace for 3 minutes . If the first batch does n’t seem ironic enough , or is too ironical , adjust subsequent spate consequently .
Step 12
absent the bowl from the microwave and await at least 12 hr for the desiccant to cool and completely absorb the plant material ’s wet .
Step 13
take up the peak from the pipe bowl and gently stimulate or blow the remain desiccant from the efflorescence . Remove obstinate turn with a minuscule paintbrush .
Step 14
Spray the flowers with hair spray or floral lacquer . Microwave flowers absorb more wet than those dried by other method acting , so the extra protection is important .
Tip
flower have it away for retaining their shapes and colour when dry include Queen Anne ’s lace , larkspur , bachelor ’s clit , statice , strawflower , sea lavender , yarrow , baby ’s breathing space and cockscomb . Grasses and seed heads also dry well and bestow freehanded touches to wreaths and other dried arrangements . Try cattails , mullein , dock , and any of the more spectacular cultivate ornamental pasturage or godforsaken - harvest skunk and rush .
