Drying roses allows us to preserve the beautiful flowers for longer. This guide for how to dry out roses details the best methods and some ideas for how to use dried roses.
Roses enchant with their beautiful, delicate flowers. To preserve their beauty, rose petals can simply be dried and preserved. Perhaps you have been given a bouquet of roses as a gift or would like to make a potpourri out of rose petals?
Unfortunately, roses can quickly droop or lose their petals if you don’t know exactly how to proceed when drying them. But how do you dry roses properly? Below we present the best tips and methods for drying roses . This way you can enjoy the “queen of flowers” all year round.
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How to dry out roses: overview
Which roses are suitable for drying?
The heavily filled scented roses from the group of hybrid tea roses and English roses are particularly suitable for drying . But filled bed roses also look pretty in small dried bouquets. It is best to cut the roses in the early morning hours when the weather is dry. Only select flawless, fully bloomed roses for preservation.
Most cut roses from the florist can be dried very well. It is important that they have already bloomed a little and the wilting process has not yet started before you dry the flowers. This will give you the best results. So don’t wait too long. If you wait until the roses start to wilt, you run the risk of the petals coming loose and falling off during drying.
Which color is best for drying roses?
Bright pink or rose roses often keep their original color well, while the classic red rose always darkens as it dries, turning deep red to almost black. Even light-colored rose varieties often change their color to yellow, brown or green.
The colors are usually more nostalgic, i.e. less garish. The brighter the color of the fresh rose, the more likely it is that it will retain a strong color. However, it is never possible to predict with complete certainty what color your rose petals will turn out to be.
How to dry out roses: 4 best methods
1. Air dry roses upside down
Air drying roses is a classic drying method: it is suitable for anyone who has a bit of time. First remove the leaves from the stem ends and tie a maximum of ten rose stems together in bunches with a rubber band.
Hang the bunches upside down in a well-ventilated, dry and dark room, for example in an attic or in the boiler room. The darker the room, the better the flower color will be preserved. Hang the bunches with enough space between them – otherwise the roses will not be exposed to sufficient air circulation.
Depending on the number of flowers and the length of the stem, the drying process takes 10 to 30 days. Alternatively, you can attach the rose stems individually to a string using clothespins. When they have lost all moisture and rustle nicely, they are completely dried.
2. How to dry out roses with salt or silica gel
In order to preserve the natural color of the rose petals as best as possible, we recommend using dry salt or silica gel in powder form (available from craft supplies). For this drying method, you only need a sufficiently large container that can be sealed as airtight as possible. First, sprinkle the bottom with some dry salt or silica gel.
Now place the shortened flower heads in and carefully sprinkle them with more salt or powder until you can no longer see them. Store the closed container in a dry, warm place. After three to five days, you can remove the dried rose petals.
3. How to dry out roses with glycerin
Similar to drying hydrangeas, when preserving roses, you can also use glycerin (available from pharmacies) to preserve the beautiful flowers. Cut the fresh rose stems diagonally and place them in a solution of one part glycerin and two parts water. A mixture of 100 milliliters of glycerin and 200 milliliters of water has proven to be effective.
The roses absorb the mixture right down to the flowers. The water evaporates within a few days, while the glycerin remains in the roses and preserves the flowers. As soon as small droplets emerge from the petals, the process is complete. This is a wonderful way to preserve not only the color but also the consistency of the rose petals.
4. How to dry out roses for potpourri
Rose petals and rose buds – especially those from scented roses – are very popular for making fragrant potpourris. To dry them gently in the air, lay the petals next to each other on newspaper or a cotton cloth.
A fine wire mesh is recommended as a base – it ensures good air circulation. Choose a dark, airy and dry place to dry the roses. Alternatively, you can spread the entire rose petals out on a baking tray lined with baking paper and – depending on the size of the flower – dry them in the oven for around five to six hours at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius and circulating air.
Leave the oven door ajar and make sure that the delicate flowers do not burn. If you like, you can sprinkle the dried flowers with a little rose oil and store them in tins, jars, bags or shallow bowls. In the past, people used to warm the containers in winter to intensify the scent.
Decoration ideas with dried roses
You can implement all kinds of beautiful creative ideas with dried roses. And the best thing about these decorative elements is that they will bring joy for a very long time.
Dried flower wreath made of roses
Flowers in different colors and a pretty bow decorate any festive dried flower wreath. The roses are first dried upside down in the air and the flower heads are then placed as close together as possible on a floral foam wreath. Once fixed with hairspray, this colorful wreath will bring joy for a long time.
Rose heart
For the rose heart you need a Styrofoam heart (craft shop) in the desired size, a roll of fine craft wire (preferably green), dry moss and dried rose petals with short stems. Attach the moss to the Styrofoam heart with wire. Place individual pieces of moss on the heart and wrap them tightly with wire. Continue until the Styrofoam is completely covered.
Place the dried flowers on the moss heart in a heart shape, starting from the edge. To do this, stick the stems into the moss up to the base of the flower. As a final step, fill the middle with more flowers and fix the arrangement with hairspray.
Rose potpourri in the bowl
In a small glass bowl, the rose potpourri is the perfect table decoration. The dried roses in various shades of orange make a fragrant potpourri. Sprinkled with a few drops of rose oil and placed on a beautiful glass bowl, they add a pretty splash of color and spread a pleasant scent throughout the home. Rose petals for potpourris dry in the oven at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius within a few hours.
Gift wrapping with dried roses
With dried roses, every gift wrapping becomes a real eye-catcher. Everyone would love to receive this gift with a rosy message. The small bouquet of roses is attached to the package with string and can be accessorized with an original tag.
Photo by Beate Vogl
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