Quick Way to Preserve Your Summer Blooms

4 Materials
$1
5 Minutes
Easy
Summer will be over soon and so will those beautiful blooms you've enjoyed. Why not save a little piece of summer and that wonderful memory of pretty flowers by pressing some of those bloom and capturing the last bit of summer . . . perhaps a stunning zinnia that caught your eye, or a few impatiens that exploded with color, or a group of geraniums that's so perfect for framing! And the easiest and quickest way to preserve those memories is by pressing your own flowers in the microwave, using absorbent papers, two ceramic tiles and rubber bands! Can you believe it? Normally, it takes several days or maybe weeks to press those lovely beauties in heavy-weighted books, but by using a microwave, it can take less than five minutes!

Here's how: It's best to start with fresh flowers. When picking flowers from your garden, select flowers that are either new blooms or buds about to burst open. Do this in late morning or early afternoon, after the dew has evaporated and no moisture is seen.


Next, place a continuous sheet of two paper towels on top of the smooth side of a ceramic tile. Then place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the paper towels. Arrange the flowers down on the parchment paper, making sure none of the flowers touch unless you want them to, otherwise they will be stuck together.
Gently fold over the papers on top of the flowers and place the smooth side of the second ceramic tile on top. Secure with two rubber bands and place in the microwave. Set at 50% power level for 40 seconds intervals. When the time ends, turn the tile press over and let it cool off, then microwave again for an additional 40 seconds at 50% power level.
Once done, open the tile press and check to see if there is any moisture on the papers. You can still see moisture stains in the picture below.
Continue this process again and again - making sure you let the ceramic tiles cool off between times, until you don't see any moisture on the papers and your flowers are dry. Be sure not to use full power that might cause the flowers to burn. It took me less than four minutes to dry these impatiens.


Once the flowers are cooled and completely dry, it might be a bit tricky to remove them from the parchment paper without pulling or tearing them apart, especially if they're delicate like impatiens, so you'll have to be careful. To remove, lift the paper up and with your fingers, scratch the back of the paper where the flowers are to release them from the paper.
The impatiens are so fragile - almost translucent like. But the zinnias were quite easy to remove . . .
and the details and colors of the flowers were really fascinating up close. They seem to be a bit more intense and enriched in detail!
Once all the flowers are removed from the paper, it's time to frame them by placing the flowers on cardstock in a decorative pattern, adding a dab of tacky glue to secure, and placing the frame glass over the design, then adding the backing and placing in a frame.
Enjoy preserving your beautiful blooms by pressing flowers in the microwave for a quick and easy everlasting effect . . . for so many craft projects!
Suggested materials:
  • Flowers   (Garden)
  • Ceramic tiles   (Leftover when house was built.)
  • Parchment paper/paper towels/rubberbands
See all materials
Gail@Purple Hues and Me
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 8 questions
  • Sandy Sandy on Oct 15, 2017

    What size frames did you use for your flowers?

  • Sandy Sandy on Oct 15, 2017

    Gail, I was so inspired I was doing this all afternoon yesterday. The little white daisies kinda disappeared. Most of them turned out great got a little excited and took them off of the ceramic tile before some of them cooled, all I used was a toothpick to help pick them off, they turned out ok. WHAT SIZE FRAMES DID YOU USE? Marvelous....

  • Liza Liza on Oct 16, 2017

    Can something else be used instead of the ceramic tile?

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  • Gail@Purple Hues and Me Gail@Purple Hues and Me on Oct 15, 2017

    You're welcome, Suz! That is so sweet of your grandmother! Great memories!

  • Barb Barb on Aug 25, 2019

    Gail thank you for this method of pressing flowers. I've always just used books. Pages and pages of books ALL OVER THE PLACE. I find them from time to time and place them in containers till I get enough for a project.

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