How to Keep the colour in Pressed flowers – 7 tips that work
How to Preserve the Colour in Pressed Flowers naturally
The secret of colour retention lies in the picking and the pressing of the flowers and in these 7 tips.
Follow these basic rules and you will find that your flowers keep their colour well.
I have always maintained that the big secret about flower pressing is to try as far as possible to keep the natural colour of your pressed flowers. The picture above is a photograph of a collage of flowers that have kept their colour very well.
In my opinion, there should be no artificial colouring, painting of flowers or touching up. So obviously I don’t recommend paints of any sort. The beauty lies in preserving the natural unspoiled look of the flowers.
Not only do I firmly believe this but you will also find that it will play a very important role in your marketing strategy. People are very eco-friendly today and often give preference to natural and organic products
The natural country look is a real and growing trend worldwide and you can cash in on it. You’ll soon find that your natural, colourful flower cards will attract a lot of attention.
However, if you’ve ever tried to press flowers before, you will have discovered that many flowers lose their colour after pressing.
So before you start trying to press everything in sight, it’s important to know which ones give the best results.
You certainly don’t want to discover that the pressings you made a few months ago have all gone black and mouldy! And this can happen only too often.
7 Secrets for Colour Retention
1. A big secret of colour retention is in the picking and in the pressing. Flowers that have been picked in their prime keep their colour better. It is no use trying to press a flower that looks slightly wilted or that has been in the vase for too long.
2. The time of day when the flowers are picked is important too. Although flowers are at their very best early in the morning, you will have to be careful not to pick them too early while they still have dew on their faces. Moisture is the enemy of pressed flowers. You should only use your pressed flowers when they are completely dry or else mould will creep in rather quickly. On the other hand, if you live in a hot climate, midday is also problematic because they will wilt and lose their vigour.
3. Flowers have to be pressed as quickly as possible so it is advisable to plan your pressing session beforehand. If you can’t press the flowers immediately stand the stems in deep cold water in a shady place until you are able to press them.
When I pick flowers for pressing, I take a bucket of water into the garden so that I can stand them in water as soon as I have picked them. Also I never pick more than I can handle at any one session. I prefer to pick them freshly as I need them. I realize that not everyone is in the fortunate position to be able to pick flowers from their own gardens but everyone can see to it that the flowers they press are as fresh as possible.
4. Once the flowers have been pressed they must be kept dry. A well- aerated room is essential.
5. Pressed flowers also have to be checked regularly so that any dampness on the pressing papers can be attended to and any flowers that start to get mouldy can be discarded.
6. It is also important to use flowers that retain their colour naturally. When you know which flowers press well and which types of flowers to avoid it will save you a lot of time and hassle. I rely heavily on colour retentive flowers such as the deeper colours of larkspurs and cosmos. Blue lobelias keep their colour extremely well and seldom fade at all.
7. Remember to keep your pressed flowers out of direct sunlight as it causes them to fade.
Follow these basic rules and you will find that your flowers keep their colour well.
Does it work to spray the flowers with a Krylon UV protector or something?