Roses in the dead of winter are such a lovely treat. If only they weren't so fleeting!
Generally the roses you buy at this time a year have travelled a long way and are weary after the miles and miles of travel. Four or five days and then they hang their heads in an exhausted slump.
How to Dry Roses & Make a Rose Wreath
One way to give Valentine's Day roses a second life is to dry them. You can also take a dozen dried sweetheart roses and make a pretty wreath.
How to Dry Roses:
It so easy to dry roses. Gather your roses into a bunch and secure then together with a rubber band. (The stems shrink a little as they dry and a rubber band adjusts to the changing size of your rose stems.)
Use a loop of the elastic band to hang your bunch of roses flower down to dry.
If you are drying more than one bunch of roses, allow space between them so the air can circulate.
Depending on humidity levels, a bunch of roses may take a week or two to dry. Dried correctly, the stems of the roses will be stiff and hard. The roses should be somewhat crisp to the touch.
It so easy to dry roses. Gather your roses into a bunch and secure then together with a rubber band. (The stems shrink a little as they dry and a rubber band adjusts to the changing size of your rose stems.)
Use a loop of the elastic band to hang your bunch of roses flower down to dry.
If you are drying more than one bunch of roses, allow space between them so the air can circulate.
Depending on humidity levels, a bunch of roses may take a week or two to dry. Dried correctly, the stems of the roses will be stiff and hard. The roses should be somewhat crisp to the touch.
Roses don't dry entirely true to color. There is always a bit of a shift. Cool pink roses become a soft mauve. Red roses turn a burnt shade of deep red.
White roses become cream and then more beige as they age. Yellow roses become a beige shade as well. As you might expect, multicoloured roses become an interesting mix of shades.
Dried roses are nice just as they are. You can also take the petals and make a sachet, fill a jar or even make a wreath.
Dried roses are nice just as they are. You can also take the petals and make a sachet, fill a jar or even make a wreath.
What you need to make this project:
12 dried sweetheart roses
one bunch of dried seeded eucalyptus
an 6" grapevine wreath
scissors
glue gun and glue sticks
12 dried sweetheart roses
one bunch of dried seeded eucalyptus
an 6" grapevine wreath
scissors
glue gun and glue sticks
For detailed instructions, please visit my blog.
A wreath is a pretty way to prolong the romance of Valentine's Day roses!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
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3 of 14 comments
Three Dogs in a Gardenon Feb 16, 2016Thanks everyone for your positive feedback!
Far4615730on Feb 17, 2016Dry roses are the best natural laxative when brewed as herbal tea, and tasty aswell.
- Three Dogs in a Gardenon Feb 17, 2016
@Farhatmm A couple of summers ago I made rose petal jelly. It was wonderful and had a light apple-like taste.
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Have a question about this project?
Love this...but I have one question....Is there anyway to preserve this?
The wreath should last well ( i.e. for months) just on its own. It will get dusty over time and that is when I usually throw mine out. To keep the dust off, you could mount the wreath in a shadow box. To help the colors stay bright, avoid hanging your wreath in bright sunlight. Hope that helps.
Should the roses be hung up to dry right after buying? I have wanted to dry some, but after I enjoyed them in water for several days, they opened up too much.
Abaird Usually I enjoy my roses in a vase for a 3 or 4 days and then dry them as a way to extend the pleasure I get from them. Open roses can be dried too. The shape will be less bud-like when they are dried and more open, but they'll still be pretty. Just don't wait until the roses are really sadly wilted as that may effect their quality when dried.