Don't Throw Away Those Flowers Just Yet

If you are like me, you may be having a hard time throwing out those flowers you received for Valentine's Day. Whether it's an emotional attachment or just a creative urge that is causing you the delay, know you can keep them and add a touch of romance to your home.

I love flowers, whether received as a gift or picked from my garden. I enjoy the smell of them and their ever-changing beauty throughout the home. When they have just passed their prime, I take them out of the vase and hang them to dry. After they have completely dried,  I use them around the house in wreaths, dried arrangements, potpourri, shadow boxes or sachets for closets and drawers.  

This works with many types of flowers, as well as some of the greens that come with them. Some of my favorites for drying are roses, lavender, baby's breath and carnations. Flowers with fewer petals such as daisies,  lilies and mums do not work well as most of the petals will fall off during the drying process.

To dry flowers, they can be hung in an airy location, put in silica gel, placed on screens or put in a dehydrator. I usually just hang mine with some string in the kitchen and find that they generally keep their shape and color. 

The flowers will trap and hold dust, so if you have allergies or are sensitive to dust, I would not keep your dried flowers for too long. Having said that, if you have received some extra special flowers that you can't bear to part with I suggest making a shadow box with them. This will keep them dust free and protected for years to come.

To make potpourri out of your flowers, after they have dried completely clip flowers from the stems, place in a large bowl and combine with some essential oils. These oils can be purchased from most craft stores.

For summer or spring, you could use lavender, rose buds or peppermint. For winter or fall you could try cinnamon sticks, cloves, pine cones and curled wood chips. Place in jars with open lids, bowls or a bud vase. If you would like to make a sachet for your drawers or closets, you could place the crushed up potpourri in small fabric bags or even some cheese cloth if it's not going to be on display.

Dried flowers arranged around a grapevine wreath makes a pretty welcome for any entrance. Make a fan shape with your flowers with a shimmering bow in the center and it becomes a pretty topper to a favorite picture or mirror. Tie arrangements together with green floral wire.

To have your dried flowers last for years, try putting them in a shadow box with some of your favorite things. Some lace and gold accents with some roses can add a touch of Victorian elegance to any room.

Dried herbs can be dried and used the same as flowers. If you would like to dry your herbs for cooking, place them in an airtight container after fully dried. Nothing can compare to freshly dried thyme in your favorite soup or poultry recipe.