Pressing Flowers - How to stop them going brown and crispy?

[NoviceGardenLady]

Quaint thread of the day alert....

I've got some chrysanthemums which I want to press and make into a new home card for a friend.

But whenever I've pressed flowers before and used them for crafting, they've always gone all brown and crispy after a few weeks.

I usually press flowers by putting the flowers between two pieces of kitchen roll, putting them under a heavy book for a few days, then change the kitchen roll, and put them back for another week-ish.

Should I be doing something to the flowers before/after I've pressed them to stop them going brown and crispy?

I don't know if I've posted this in the right place, sorry if not

Unfortunately that's what dried flowers do. You could try dehydrating them more quickly - I've managed to get rose petals to maintain their colour (although darker) by leaving them out overnight on an Aga. But they weren't pressed. I think microwaving will work too. I think Angel in Escape to the Chateau has used a food dehydrator for drying flowers, but again they weren't pressed. Bear in mind that the petals will shrink.

Google tells me that some people try putting the flowers between absorbent paper and ironing them.

You'll keep more colour and get a better finish with a proper flower press, and you need to leave them a lot longer than you are.

These are great suggestions, thank you!

@VipersAtTheGatesOfDawn How long would you leave them for?

@NoviceGardenLady

These are great suggestions, thank you!

@VipersAtTheGatesOfDawn How long would you leave them for?

It's a long time since I did it, but several weeks I think. I had some that were left for years in a tiny flower press and they were perfect!

Oooh blimey, I'd better get pressing. They're moving in four weeks