DIY Flower Pressing

One of my favorite ways to preserve a moment is by pressing flowers. It’s a slow, meditative craft that lets you hold onto beauty just a little longer — and it’s surprisingly easy to do with things you probably already have at home.

I recently decided to DIY my own wedding invitations — bold move, I know — and quickly realized my printer is… not great. So I pivoted and started adding real pressed flowers to each card by hand. Suddenly, every invitation felt special and intentional. This project reminded me just how charming and meaningful pressed flowers can be, even in simple applications.

🌼 What You’ll Need

• Fresh flowers (flat-faced ones like pansies, cosmos, daisies work best)
• Plain paper (blotting paper, coffee filters, or printer paper)
• Heavy books or a flower press
• Optional: scissors, tweezers, wax paper

📚 Method 1: Book Pressing (No Tools Required)

1. Pick your flowers. Choose fresh but dry blooms — not too thick or wet.
2. Prep your pages. Place a piece of paper inside a large, heavy book.
3. Lay the flower flat. Gently arrange the petals so they’re not overlapping too much.
4. Cover with another piece of paper. This protects the book pages.
5. Stack it. Close the book and add more books or a brick on top.
6. Wait patiently. After 1–2 weeks, your flowers will be dry and beautifully preserved.

🛠️ Method 2: Using a Wooden Flower Press

If you love pressing flowers often (and prettily), a wooden flower press is worth investing in — or you can even DIY one with cardboard and bolts!

• Same process as above, but with stacked layers of cardboard and blotting paper.
• Tighten the bolts gently every few days to keep things flat.

💡 Tips for Best Results

• Press flowers as soon as possible after picking.
• Avoid thick, juicy flowers like tulips or succulents — they mold easily.
• Label the paper with the date or place you found them.
• Keep finished flowers in a dry, dark place until you use them.

🎨 How to Use Pressed Flowers

• Frame them for delicate vintage-style wall art
• Decorate journals, bookmarks, and gift cards
• Seal them into resin coasters or phone grips
• Use in flat-lay photography for Etsy or Instagram
• ✉️ Or — like I did — glue them to wedding invitations to make each one feel heartfelt and handmade

Flower pressing is a quiet kind of magic — turning something fleeting into something you can keep. Let me know if you try it (or tag me on Instagram @hannistudios_) — I’d love to see your pressed beauties.