One of our favourite things about letterbox flowers is how long they last. Coming in bulb form, the flowers last longer than flowers that are already in full bloom upon purchase. If this is your favourite part about letterbox flowers, then you will love the concept of dried letterbox flowers. Keep reading for a simple, easy to follow guide, on how to arrange dried letterbox flowers at home.
How to turn your old letterbox flowers into dried flowers
Before creating your bouquet of dried flowers, you need dried flowers! We have collected our top three methods for turning your old fresh flowers into dried flowers.
Method 1 - Hanging your flowers
This is probably the easiest method of creating dried flowers.
Simply remove all the excess foliage from your flowers and tie them together into smaller bunches. When separating your flowers, we recommend grouping your flowers together by flower-type. Then, simply hang your flowers upside down in a cool, dry place for a minimum of two weeks.
Ensure that your flowers maintain a rigid, upright structure when hanging down.
Method 2 - Using silica gel
For your more delicate and dainty flowers, you may wish to use silica gel instead to dry your flowers. Silica gel dries out flowers by removing all of the moisture, leaving them dry but allowing them to retain their original colour and shape.
Get yourself a container, such as a large bowl or a large tupperware box. Then, fill this container with silica gel and place your flowers onto the silica. Ensure that more silica gel is placed on the heads of the flowers.
When drying out your flowers using this method, it’s important to be careful as you don’t want to damage your flowers. This method can take anywhere between three days to one week. So, this may be a better option than hanging if you want your bouquet sooner.
Carefully remove the flowers from the silica gel and brush the flowers gently with a brush to remove any excess gel.
Method 3 - Drying your flowers in a vase
This is a very simple and easy way to dry your flowers. Simply leave your flowers in a vase to dry! Make sure to change the water regularly to avoid any build up of bacteria that will damage the flowers.
This process is the longest out of the three, so only carry out this method if you have time to spare and if you are patient! Watching the flowers slowly dry out in the vase can be a magical and fascinating process to watch.
How to arrange your dried flowers into a beautiful bouquet
Step 1 - Prepare your dried flowers
Once your letterbox flowers are all dried up and ready to arrange, lay them down on a flat, dry, clean surface. We recommend sorting flowers of the same type together.
Step 2 - Start arranging
Due to the delicate nature of dried flowers, it is best to arrange them by hand. Begin by holding a singular stem in one hand, and keep adding stems to your hand. Turn the arrangement clockwise every time you add a new stem, working in a circular motion. Save the foliage and more wild-looking flowers for the outer part of the arrangement - this will ensure that your arrangement looks full and also boasts a more natural look.
Step 3 - Get creative
Continue with the method suggested in step two. Make sure that your colours are equally distributed throughout the bouquet - you want to avoid having too much of one flower or colour clumped together - this won’t look good or natural. As you continue to arrange your flowers, keep turning the bouquet around.
Don’t worry if things don’t go your way - especially if this is your first time making a flower arrangement with dried flowers (or any flowers for that matter)! If you aren’t happy with how your bouquet is coming along, simply start again.
Flower arranging is an art, so it is best to take your time with it. Arranging flowers should be fun - so don’t rush the process and don’t place too much pressure on yourself!
Step 4 - The final steps
Your flower arrangement should be nearly finished by this stage. Now, all that is left to do in terms of arranging your flowers is to add in the filler flowers. The filler flowers should be those that are more wild-looking and smaller. Adding these is an essential stylistic element to the bouquet, as it will make your bouquet appear much fuller, making it more pleasing to the eye. Adding these more natural-looking blooms will also give your bouquet a more natural look, which is always a good thing when it comes to flowers!
Step 5 - Tie your bouquet
Once you have finished arranging your bouquet, it will be time to tie your flowers together. To do this, you can use any string or ribbon of your choice. Wrap your chosen material around the tightest point of the stem of your bouquet. Once you have tied the bouquet, carefully and slowly remove your grip.
Don’t rush this part of the process - the last thing you want is for you to loosen your grip too quickly, without having properly tied the bouquet together, resulting in your bouquet falling apart and having to start the process all from the beginning.
Step 6 - Final touches!
Now you have arranged your flowers into a beautiful bouquet and tied it together neatly with your chosen material, it is time for the finishing decorative touches. You may wish to leave your bouquet as it is and give it like this to a friend or a loved one. Instead, you may wish to display your bouquet into a vase or a jug.
If you are deciding to display your bouquet in a vase, you may need to trim your stems to ensure it fits perfectly!
Feeling inspired? Check out our website and shop our varied collection of letterbox flowers. From one click of a button, you can get flowers delivered straight through your letterbox - buying flowers has never been so easy!
Be sure to follow this simple guide to enjoy your flowers for even longer!