Step by Step Guide – How to Preserve Flowers in Resin

Step 2 – Get Know-How About Different Types of Dried Flowers

Beginner or amateur flower preservers can easily get confused about what types of flowers they should use for this project – and other factors such as the resin used, how to add color to it, etc.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to these questions because each type of flower presents its own challenges that need special attention.

So let’s discuss different kinds of dried flowers you can use flower preservation resin.

Real Dried Flowers Bought from the market

You can buy preserve dried flowers online to add to your resin creation. These will often come in a variety of colors and types.

Artificial Flowers

If you want an unreplenishable flower, it might be best to use artificial flowers for this project.

Dry the Flowers Yourself

If you want to preserve special flowers, the best way to dry them yourself. You might also want to plan by choosing which kind of flower you will need for your project (i.e., an open-petaled flower like a rose versus closed-petaled flower-like lilies).

Step 3 – Dry the Flowers Yourself Step-By-Step (Optional if Not Buying From the Market)

Now that you know about the different types of flowers you can use, let’s discuss how to dry fresh flowers yourself if you are not buying them from the market.

Pressing the Flowers in a Book

Place the stems of the flowers in a book where the leaves and stem can be pressed and dried between two thin pieces of cardboard (i.e., heavy paper like index cards). Place a piece of blotting paper or tissue paper under it to absorb extra moisture that gathers on top or around the flowers as they dry.

Press Dry

To press dry your flowers, place them between sheets of paper towels to absorb excess water. Then put the wet towels with the fresh flowers inside a sealed plastic bag or container overnight. Once it’s dried, you can continue your project!

Silica Gel

Place cuttings in a container with silica gel crystals, which will absorb the excess moisture. Once the flowers are dry enough to be handled, you can place them on your project or whatever else needs it!

Hanging Flowers to Dry

o do this, you’ll need several strong pieces of string or twine and something to hang them on (i.e., a clothesline, shower curtain rod, etc.). Simply tie the stems together with loose knots so that they can be hung upside down to dry naturally. You may also want to place the container upside down under them to catch any water that drips off.

Microwave Flower Press

Place flowers between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Place the wax paper on a microwave-safe plate and heat it for several minutes until the flower is dried out. Continue doing this until you’ve entirely pressed all your flowers.

Microwave With Silica Gel

Finally, one last drying-flowers method is to use microwaving with silica gel. Combine your flowers with water and a teaspoon of silica gel in a microwave-safe bowl, then heat until the flower is dry enough – about 2-3 minutes per batch, depending on how many flowers you put in there.

Step 4 – MIX the Resin

You can use several kinds of resin for flower preservation, but since this method is intended only for beginners, I will explain how to do it using ResinArt resin-for-sculpting epoxy.

Beginners should use a 1:1 ratio mix of resin and hardener.

The ratio is dependent on the size of the container you will be using, so if you are using a 20-ounce container, then use 10 ounces of resin and 10 ounces of hardener.