“Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.” - John Lennon

Who wants to ever say goodbye to her bridal bouquet? Not me. Not after all the tedious planning and budgeting and flower arrangement. But it's not just me. I know many of you out there who'd want to preserve your flower arrangements that you received on Valentine's Day or anniversary. Unfortunately for us, the flowers wilt, wither and rot. They lose their beauty and with that, disappears the charm and significance of the flowers. However, luckily there's a number of ways we can preserve these beauties.

Preserving cut flowers is not a new fad. Flower preservation dates back thousands of years. The art of drying flowers could be traced all the way back to Egypt when blooms were cut, dried, preserved and placed in tombs with the mummies. In the Middle Ages, we found preserved flowers used as medicine, and in Japan they were found in artistic expression.

So, if you want to know how to preserve roses or any other flower for eternity, here are 3 easy ways.

3 Ways To Preserve Roses & Other Flowers For Eternity

Air Drying

This is almost too simple and you should be able to perfect the art with the minimum effort and practice. Here you hang your flowers upside down for the air to start drying them up. This allows the bloom to dry in the most life-like position. Make sure the place where you hang them is dry and not humid (ideally not your bathroom).

This naturally drying process can take a few days and you can lose a few petals as they dry. All you need here is a twine to hang the flowers from and a well-ventilated area which SHOULD NOT be in direct sunlight. You may want to use hooks or hangers to support the bouquet. Optionally you can also use hairspray on them.

Book Pressing - Create A Classic

This is the easiest of all preservation methods and takes very little effort or skills. All you need is your flower, a few sheets of paper or waxed paper and a hardcover book. Any novice wondering how to preserve roses (or any flower), should be able to do this without any skills. Take your scissors and start by trimming off the stem as much as possible. Open the book towards the center and place the paper sheets (ideally waxed paper) inside. Close and reopen the book a few times to make sure the papers are nicely housed inside. Over time, the paper inside will dehydrate the flower, leaving it dried and preserved. The process can take up to 4-5 weeks. The result is a timeless bloom.

Rapid Microwave Pressing

If you’re thinking how to preserve flowers in a flash without having to wait patiently for days and weeks, this is for you. For this you need some silica gel and a microwave-safe container. First, you need to remove the flowers from the stems. Cover the bottom of the container with a generous layer of silica gel (an inch or little more).

Now gently place the flowers on top of the gel. Add more gel on top, making sure it gets in between the petals, until the flowers are covered. Microwave on low uncovered for 2-5 minutes, depending on the number of flowers. Check how the flowers are drying before you turn up the heat or extend time. Remove the container, cover it and then open the top slightly for air to vent. Let it sit for a day untouched. After 24 hours, use a soft brush to remove the gel. Then mist it with acrylic spray for an embalmed eternal flower.