How to prepare Dried rose petals and flowers at home

Rose petals or even whole flowers can be obtained by two methods - oven drying or air drying. Oven drying method is suggested  for petals, however for drying whole flower with stems air drying suits best. Follow the below mentioned steps for any of the best suited drying methods for dried flowers.

Oven drying method for dried rose petals

1. Set the oven on low temperature.

2. Arrange the rose petals in single layer on a wire rack which is been lined with cheese cloth.

3. Place the wire rack in the oven.

4. Heat the petals in batch for drying and ensure that after every half hour you leave the oven door open until the petals are dry and crumbly.

Air Drying method for dried flower petals or dried whole flowers

 1. Tie the rose stems pretty tightly. Ensure that rose stems are tied tightly. (This is very important that you tie the rose stems tightly as once they dry the stems shrink. Best is to use rubber bands to tie the stems)

2. Hung the whole flowers upside down in warm, dry but ventilated place away from direct sunlight.

3. Keep them tied and hung for at least 2 weeks depending on the humidity.

4. Once done pack the flowers in ziploc bags and use the way you wish. 

5. In case you plan to dry leaves or flower petals (loose) then place them on a screen, away from sun light. Do keep turning the petals once a while.

Please note: Slow drying away from sunlight helps the flowers to retain the color while ensuring that the petals and leaves have turned crumbly. You need to be little patient. Ensure that the petals as well as leaves have dried completely. Also don't forget to put them in airtight containers as they immediately turn to absorb moisture from the air.