Gather a selection of fresh flowers. You can pick wildflowers, buy flowers at a greenhouse/plant nursery, or even buy a bouquet from the store.Keep reading below the tutorial for which flowers are the best to press.
When you're ready to press your flowers, cut off the flowers from the plant.You can use just the flower, or keep some of the greenery with it, depending on the look you're going for.
Continue cutting flowers until you have a good selection.
Step 2: Arrange the flowers
To press your flowers, you'll need a heavy hardcover book. Larger books are better because you can fit more flowers on one page.Make sure you choose a book that you don't mind damaging. Most of the time the book will be fine, but there's a chance the moisture from the flowers will wrinkle the pages a little bit.
Cut 6 pieces of parchment paper to the size of your book page, or a little larger.Open the book to a page in the middle and place 3 of the sheets of paper on the right side of the book.
Begin adding flowers to the parchment paper. Place the blooms face down.
Continue adding as many flowers as will fit on the book page.
Step 3: Close the book, add weight, and wait
Add another 3 pieces of parchment paper on top of the flowers. Place them carefully, trying not to move any of the blooms.
Close the book very carefully, holding the parchment paper in place while you're closing it.The flowers will dry in whatever position they are when the book is closed.
Now add a stack of books (or other heavy objects, like a brick or cinderblock) on top of the first book.Place the stack of books out of the way, in a dry room, where they won't be disturbed. Don't open the book early to peek because it can damage the flowers if they aren't fully dry.Wait 4 - 6 weeks for the flowers to become dried and pressed.
Step 4: Reveal your beautifully pressed flowers
Remove the stack of books and carefully open the book with the pressed flowers.
If the flowers are properly dried you should be able to gently slide the flowers right off the parchment paper.Be careful, as the blooms will be fragile. Store them flat, between cardboard in a Ziploc bag or container. This will prevent moisture from re-entering the flowers and stop them from bending and/or breaking.
Your pressed flowers are ready for framing or crafting!