Autumn Flower Pressing


Whilst we might yearn for the summer sun, the switch to Autumn colours is forever a joy to behold – the vibrant spectacle of burnt oranges, reds and golden hues, and intricate shapes and patterns of flowers, make for a sensory treat when exploring your garden and local landscape. Whilst wandering, keep an eye out for wild Clematis, also known as ‘traveller’s joy’; with their attractive seed heads these would make for an architectural piece, whilst Autumn Crocuses bloom from October to add a burst of colour (and are perhaps simpler to handle!). Other Autumn favourites include Dahlias, Dianthus and Cosmos.

Where to pick? 

Be mindful where you choose to pick your flowers – it is illegal to pick flowers cultivated by councils or in areas of conservation such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Foraging wildflowers is OK, so long as you solely pick flower stems and leaves and do not uproot any plants without permission from the landowner.

What you'll need...

Blotting Paper. Do try and get your hands on some. Its absorbent nature helps draw out water and so keeps mould at bay much more than regular paper would.
Heavy books (or a flower press).
Cardboard. Emma Bridgewater boxes make a perfect pressing companion.
Scissors.
Flowers and stems of your choosing. Blooms that are flat will be easier to press. Gently clean and delicately deconstruct petals to get best results. Pick after the morning dew and remove as much moisture as possible.
Frame or jug to display.

Most flowers take 3-4 weeks to press, so allow yourself some time to create.

Pressing your flowers.

  1. Lay out a piece of cardboard and place a couple of pieces of newspaper on top, then lay two pieces of newspaper onto the cardboard.
  2. Take two pieces of blotting paper and place them on top of this.
  3. Add your picked flowers on to the blotting paper, making sure you are leaving enough space around each flower.
  4. Lay another two pieces of blotting paper on top of the pressed flowers. Do this gently as it’s easy to bruise delicate items or cause folds, which you won’t be able to remove later.
  5. Repeat the process until you have pressed all your flowers.
  6. Choose heavy books to put on top of your pressed flowers. Make sure these are evenly distributed and leave for 3-4 weeks.
  7. Enjoy…you could add them to a frame or pop stems in a vase or use as for festive gift wrap.