Why Press Flowers?

There is something quietly satisfying about opening a heavy book weeks later and finding a summer afternoon flattened between the pages. Pressing flowers is one of the oldest and simplest crafts there is, and it costs almost nothing. A handful of cosmos from the garden, a couple of sheets of blotting paper and a stack of books is all you really need.

The results are lovely for homemade cards, small framed pieces, gift tags and bookmarks. Pressed flowers also let you keep a record of what grew well in a particular year, which is oddly useful when you are planning next spring's seed order. I have a little frame in the hallway holding pressed nigella and cornflowers from three summers ago, and it still makes me smile every time I walk past it.

Picking on a Dry Morning

Timing matters more than most people realise. Choose a dry morning, ideally once any dew has lifted but before the sun gets high and hot. Flowers picked damp will go mouldy in the press, and flowers picked in the heat of the afternoon will already be wilting and dropping petals.

Take a small basket or a shallow box rather than a bag, so the blooms do not crush one another on the way back to the kitchen. Cut stems fairly short and handle everything gently. Pick more than you think you need, because not every flower will press well, and the odd one will brown or curl.

A few rules of thumb:

• Choose flowers that have just opened, not those in full blow or starting to fade.
• Avoid any with rain damage, browning edges or tiny insects tucked in the centre.
• Pick fewer, better specimens rather than a huge armful that you will not have time to press properly.
• If you are pressing wildflowers, only take from abundant patches and never from protected or private land.

The Blotting Paper Method

Blotting paper is the traditional choice because it draws moisture away evenly without leaving a texture on the petals. Two sheets of A4 folded in half will do a good few flowers. Absorbent kitchen roll works as a backup, though it can leave a faint pattern on very thin petals.

Lay one sheet of blotting paper on a flat surface. Arrange the flowers face down, spaced so they are not touching, with petals opened out flat. Anything bulky in the middle — a thick seed head, a chunky daisy centre — should be trimmed away with a sharp pair of nail scissors, otherwise it will hold moisture and rot.

Place the second sheet on top, then sandwich the whole thing between two pieces of cardboard. Cardboard keeps the air moving and stops the paper from going sour. Now weight it. A heavy cookbook, a stack of magazines or a couple of paving slabs in the shed all work. The key is even, firm pressure across the whole sheet.

Leave it somewhere dry and out of direct sunlight for two to three weeks. After the first week, carefully lift the top sheet. If the paper feels damp, swap it for fresh dry paper and re-weight. Once the flowers feel papery and stiff rather than leathery, they are ready. If they still feel cool or soft, give them another week.

Which Flowers Press Best

Flat, thin-petalled flowers are the easiest and give the crispest results. Good ones to try include violas and pansies, cosmos, nigella, cornflowers, sweet peas, forget-me-nots, honesty and hellebores. Fern fronds, ivy leaves and dried grasses press beautifully too, and make excellent filler around a larger bloom.

Roses can be pressed, but you need to separate the petals and press them individually, then reassemble the flower like a jigsaw when you come to mount it. Tulips and daffodils are tricky because of their thick centres, though a single tulip petal pressed on its own is stunning. Fleshy succulents and anything with a lot of water in the stem are best left alone — they simply will not dry cleanly.

Cards, Frames and Finishing Touches

For cards, use acid-free blank card and a glue that dries clear and stays flexible. A fine paintbrush dipped in diluted PVA works well and lets you control exactly where the adhesive goes. Tweezers are invaluable here — they save you smudging the glue and let you nudge a petal into place without tearing it.

Small frames suit pressed flowers perfectly. Mount them on cream or off-white paper with a decent border, then frame without glass pressing directly onto the flowers if you can, or use a mount board to keep a gap. Keep finished frames out of direct sunlight, as the colours will fade over a year or two regardless of how carefully you pressed them.

A light mist of artist's fixative, or a very light coat of hairspray held at arm's length, helps keep delicate petals from flaking once mounted. Do this outdoors or by an open window, and let it dry completely before framing.

Storing and Seasonal Notes

Spare pressed flowers keep well between sheets of blotting paper inside a folder or a large book, stored somewhere dark and dry. Label them with the date and the flower name if you can — in a year's time you will be glad you did. Airtight boxes are best avoided, as a little air circulation prevents any lingering dampness turning musty.

The craft follows the seasons beautifully. Spring gives you forget-me-nots, primroses and blossom. Summer brings cosmos, cornflowers and sweet peas in abundance. Autumn is for seed heads, grasses and the last of the roses, and winter is the perfect time to sit down with your stash, a pot of tea and a pile of blank cards.