Learn how to dry flowers for resin with this step by step guide. You’ll need just a few supplies and a little time to create beautiful dried flowers for your resin projects.
Checkout this video:
What You’ll Need
All you need to dry flowers for resin is a desiccant and an airtight container. A desiccant is a materials that absorbs moisture from the air. The most common desiccant is silica gel, which you can find at most craft stores. You’ll also need an airtight container to store your flowers in while they’re drying.
Flowers
-Picking the right flowers: Make sure to choose flowers that are flat with minimal petals. Avoid using flowers that are too top-heavy or have a lot of texture, as these can be difficult to dry and may not lay flat. Some good examples of flowers that work well for resin are baby’s breath, pansies, forget-me-nots, and daisies.
-Collecting your flowers: Cut the stems of your chosen flowers so they are about 4 inches long. Place them in a single layer on a paper towel and let them air dry for 24 hours. Once they’re dry, gently remove any remaining leaves or stem from the flower.
-Drying your flowers: Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature setting (usually around 200 degrees Fahrenheit). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange your flowers on the sheet so they’re not touching. Place the baking sheet in the oven and let the flowers dry for 1-2 hours. Check on them periodically to make sure they’re not browning or burning. Once they’re dry, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before using them in resin.
Silica gel
One of the best ways to dry flowers for resin is by using silica gel. This material is very effective at absorbing moisture, and it will not damage the flowers. You can find silica gel online or at a craft store.
To use silica gel, you will need to put the flowers in a container and then cover them with the gel. Make sure that the flowers are completely covered. Then, put the container in a warm, dry place for 24 hours. After 24 hours, check on the flowers to see if they are dry. If they are not, you can leave them for another day or two.
Airtight container
In order to preserve your flowers, you will need an airtight container. The type of container you use is not as important as making sure it is airtight. You can use a mason jar, Tupperware, or even a Ziploc bag. If you are using a Ziploc bag, make sure to get all of the air out before sealing the bag.
Prepare the Flowers
Fresh flowers work best for this project, but you can also use dried flowers. If you are using fresh flowers, start by picking them early in the morning when they are most full of water. Cut the stems at an angle and remove any leaves that will be below the water line in your vase. Place the flowers in a clean vase filled with fresh, cool water and let them sit for a few hours.
Choose your flowers
The best flowers for drying are those that have been freshly picked and don’t have any moisture on them. If you can, pick them early in the morning or in the evening when the dew has evaporated.
If you’re picking from your own garden, cut the stems at an angle so they can easily absorb water. If you’re picking flowers from a florist, ask if they’ve been treated with any chemicals that might prevent them from drying properly.
Some flowers dry better than others, so it’s best to experiment to see what works best for you. Here are a few flowers that dry well:
-Asters
-Button mums
-Calendulas
-Chrysanthemums
-Daisies
-Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)
-Larkspur
-Lavatera trimestris (Tree mallow)
-Linum usitatissimum (Flax)
-Roses
-Statice
Trim the stems
To dry flowers for resin, start by trimming the stems of the flowers so they’re about 1 inch long. Then, place the flowers in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper and let them air dry for 24 hours. Once the flowers are dry, store them in a cool, dark place until you’re ready to use them.
Remove any leaves
To remove leaves from the stems of your flowers, hold the flower by the base of the stem and strip the leaves off in the opposite direction of the bloom. If your flowers are particularly leafy, you may need to strip them a few times to get all of the leaves off.
Dry the Flowers
I Recommend laying the flowers out on a piece of newspaper in a single layer. If you have thicker flowers, you might want to cut them in half to help them dry evenly. Once they are dry, you can store them in a dry, dark place until you are ready to use them.
Place the flowers in the container
1. Gather your materials. For this project you will need: Flowers, a container to dry your flowers in (a cardboard box works well), and something to weight down the flowers inside the container (books work well for this).
2. Pick the flowers you would like to dry and remove any excess leaves or stems. You want to make sure there is as little plant matter as possible on the flower itself so that it dries evenly.
3. Place the flowers in your container, spreading them out so they have room to breathe.
4. Place something heavy on top of the flowers inside the container, this will help them to retain their shape as they dry.
5. Leave the container in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks, or until the flowers are completely dried out
Cover the flowers with silica gel
You will need to purchase some silica gel which is available online or at a craft store. Cover the flowers with a layer of silica gel and then place them in a dark, dry place. You will need to check on the flowers every few days to make sure they are still covered with silica gel. After a week or two, the flowers should be completely dried out and ready to use in your resin project.
Seal the container
Seal the container tightly with a lid to prevent the loss of moisture from the flowers. You can use a variety of containers, such as a mason jar, Tupperware container or even a Ziploc bag.
Store the Flowers
Drying flowers for resin is a two-step process. First, you need to store the flowers. You can do this by hanging the flowers upside down in a cool, dry place. You can also lay the flowers out on a sheet of newspaper in a single layer. If you are pressed for time, you can also put the flowers in the freezer.
Keep the container in a cool, dark place
Once you have your flowers arranged in the container the way you want them, it’s time to store them in a cool, dark place. This will help preserve their color and prevent them from wilting.
You can expect your flowers to take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to dry out completely. Once they’re dried, you can use them in all sorts of resin crafts!
Check on the flowers every few days
Drying Flowers for Resin
Just as you would with any other flowers, check on the flowers every few days to see how they are progressing. After a week or so, they should be completely dried out and ready to use. You can then store them in an airtight container until you are ready to use them in your resin projects.
