Giving someone flowers will always make their day. At the same time, a lot of thought has to go into having the most appropriate floral arrangement. You may be wondering what the point is if flowers are going to die anyway. Would you want to create bouquets that can last forever? You can do so by drying or preserving flowers! Keep reading to explore the differences between preserved flowers and dried flowers.
Dried Flowers
When you give or receive a fresh bouquet, your first thought will be: How can I make this last forever? One of the easiest ways to do this is to dry your flowers.
In order to dehydrate your flowers, you can hang them upside down. This is best done in an area that isn’t humid and is well-ventilated. You can, for instance, hang them in a dark section of your house – like a closet you aren’t using.
You can then leave the flowers for a few weeks until they have dried completely. Having miniature dried flower arrangements at home is quite the trend thesedays.
Preserved Flowers
Preserving flowers involve a much more sophisticated process than drying. You would want to choose flowers that are at their prime (when they are the most beautiful) and rehydrate them. This involves placing the flowers in a glycerine mixture.
You can also place flowers with silica gel or preserve them in resin.
Depending on the way that you choose to preserve your flowers, you can have different uses for them. With a resin arrangement, for instance, you can create a paperweight, a necklace, and more.
Preserved flowers can therefore be practical, and can add a bit of flair into your daily life.
What’s The Difference Between Dried Flowers And Preserved Flowers?
While both methods attempt to create something long-lasting from your floral arrangements, the results of the two methods will be different. These are some things to consider before choosing one technique over the other.
Convenience
If you are doing this process yourself and are looking for something convenient, dried flowers are the way to go!
Drying flowers require only a simple process of hanging the floral arrangement and leaving them for a few weeks. Preserved flowers, however, take a lot more work. You may need a specific mixture, undergo a few more steps, and know when to start the process in order to achieve the best results.
Appearance
Another difference between dried and preserved flowers is the final result.
Dried flowers are not perfect. The drying process will strip some of the original color and spark of your flowers, although you can perform a coloring procedure to bring some of that back.
At the same time, your flowers will become more brittle and can break apart easily. This makes it important to handle them carefully, as you can lose some petals and stems in the process.
This may not sound great, but dried flowers can be beautiful too! They create a rustic look that may be different from the original flowers, but this can be an aesthetic for you to tap into.
Preserved flowers, on the other hand, can capture the beauty of your flowers at their prime. If you want to have your flowers look as perfect as possible, you may want to preserve them instead of dry them. This is because the preservation process will be able to freeze all the colors and the arrangement of your flowers, just the way they are.
Yet another benefit of using the preservation technique is that you can get creative. Some people choose to separate flower petals and create a whole new arrangement on resin, complete with glitter and other decorative materials. You can decide on how you want to capture the memories attached to your flowers and have a final product that just looks stunning.
Longevity
If you want something that can last a long time, you may want to have preserved fresh flowers. While the specific timeframe depends on which technique you choose (and how well you take care of the final product), preserved flowers can last a few years until forever!
On the other hand, dried flowers will deteriorate over time. The petals and leaves may fall apart over time. This means that they will lose their beauty over time and can typically only last for around a year.
Alternatives For Creating Floral Arrangements That Last
Have you decided which technique you would want to perform to make your flowers last forever? If neither of them seems suitable, there are still some choices for you to get lasting flowers.
One alternative is to get manmade flowers like wood-crafted sola roses or have flowers made from paper. While this may seem unconventional, they do last a lot longer.
Not only that, but handmade flowers either look very similar to real floral arrangements or have their own beautiful appearance that will add to their uniqueness.
Choosing Between Dried Flowers And Preserved Flowers
If you want your bouquets to last forever, you may be considering whether to have dried flowers or preserved flowers. In order to answer this, you will need to understand the differences between the two.
Overall, preserved flowers may be the way to go if you prioritize beauty and longevity. The drawback of undergoing the preservation process, however, is that it may take a long time and may require you to buy some materials. By comparison, drying flowers is a very simple process!
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