How to Preserve Flowers with Sand
Flowers are the expression of love and beauty. They make amazing gifts to strengthen and renew relationships, friendships and love. Since they signify emotions, there is a natural feeling of preserving them. The sad thing is flowers are very fragile and wilt easily. You can extend their lives but you cannot keep them fresh forever. Drying is an option which allows you to preserve the petals for years. Some people preserve them by placing inside book covers. Others collect the petals in ornamental boxes. However, drying with sand is a much more effective method because it helps the petals keep their shape. The method is also very easy and does not need much effort. It is also a very quick way to dry the flowers and keep the petals intact. Read on to learn how exactly to do that.
Things Required:
– Spoon
– Box
– Sand
Instructions
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1
If you want to pick out the flowers yourself, do so in early morning when they are freshest. Go into the garden and pick the fully bloomed flowers you want to preserve. If you have received fresh flowers then you obviously do not have to pick any.
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2
Now use your hands or sharp scissors to remove the stem from the base of the petals. Take a box or pan and fill it with sterilized sand. The sand should be clean and can be brought at the local craft store. If you are using normal beach sand, sterilize it in the oven by baking for twenty minutes at 220 degrees. Fill a quarter of the box with the sand.
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3
Now place the flower on the sand. The flower should be face up so that the blossoms are facing you. Now pour in sand over the petals slowly, to cover them up. Use your fingers for pouring the sand. Try to get the sand between the petals so that they retain their shape.
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4
Place the sand box in a warm and dry area. The area should have free air circulation to aid in drying. Let it stand for five days. If you do not want to wait that long, bake the box in the oven at 200 degrees for two hours. Check the petals. If they are dry, scoop out with a spoon. If they are not, let the box stand longer.
