Did you just receive a beautiful flower bunch and you’re not quite sure what to do with it? Of course, the first thing that comes to mind would be to place it in a vase for everyone to enjoy. If you don’t already have a vessel for your flowers, you can click here for some cute and fun vase alternatives. However, even the best of our flowers in the care of the greenest fingers would last only a week or two before ultimately withering away 🙁
So here are a few ways to breathe new life into your flowers so that you can enjoy them a little longer. Furthermore, some of these ideas make for great date activities too!
#1 FLOWER SCENTED WATER
Imagine being welcomed back home to the light scent of your favourite flowers just wafting in the air without worrying about harmful chemicals! Learn how to make your very own Flower-Scented Water with us. Alternatively, you may click here to learn how to make a Floral Potpourri using dried flowers.
Here’s what you need:
- 2 Cups of Aromatic flower petals (like the Roses from our Petite Kindly!)
- 2 Cups of Distilled water
- 1 Coffee filter
- 1 Spray bottle
Directions:
- Soak your petals in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes after swirling them around a little to make sure you’re fully rid of any dirt or bugs.
- Drain the petals in a large colander.
- Add distilled water and the flower petals into a medium sized pan.
- Heat the water till it starts to lightly simmer. You’ll be able to tell from the tiny bubbles that begin to form!
- Let it simmer for 30 minutes after the flowers turn translucent – this process usually takes about 2 hours. Keep checking in to ensure that the water never reaches a full boil!
- Once done, cool the mixture and strain it through a coffee filter. Fully extract the liquids by pressing on the petals before discarding them.
- Transfer the liquid into your spray bottle and keep it refrigerated before use!
Additional Tips:
- Do a stain check: The pigments in the flowers tend to leave a light tint in the scented water. Test them out on your white fabrics just to make sure that they won’t stain too badly!
- Note down your recipes: With so many different flowers and scents, the possibilities are limitless. So be sure to have fun experimenting with different scents!
Recipe from The Herb Gardener.
Recipe from The Herb Gardener.
#2 PRESSED FLOWERS
These little beauts add a touch of sincerity into any personalized gift! Whether you’re using them to decorate a bookmark or a birthday card, it’s sure to bring a smile to its recipient, just like our bunches 😉 So feel free to use some dainty Baby Breaths from our Fav Awaiting Aurora bunch or vibrant Chrysanthemum Sunlight from our Petite Warmly bunch!
Here’s what you need:
- Some flowers (any and many!)
- Coffee filters
- 1 Empty scrapbook
- 1 Heavy item (a book, a laptop or anything really!)
Directions:
- Line a page near the end of your scrapbook with the coffee filter.
- Arrange your flowers on the filter.
- Flip to a few pages before and repeat the first two steps!
- Keep going till you’re pleased (or you’ve used up all your flowers) then press the heavy item onto the scrapbook.
- Leave it there for 2 days and voila!
Additional Tips:
- Feel free to experiment: There are various methods and flowers to try. See which works best for you and simply have fun with it!
- Try it with a microwave: After leaving the flowers in for 2 days, you can opt to dry them out even further by placing them in the microwave for about 15 seconds!
Method from Shmoxd.
#3 WATERCOLOUR PAINT
There’s something poetic about extending the beauty of your favourite flowers by making art out of them, don’t you agree? So why not turn to one of the most classic and traditional mediums of art and turn your vibrant flowers into actual paint!
Here’s what you need:
- Vibrant flowers (such as the striking Gerbera from our Fav Blooming Brilliance bunch)
- 1 Pack of wooden sticks (for stirring!)
- A few bowls (to contain the paint)
Directions:
- Drop a few petals (of the same colour) into a bowl.
- Pour in enough boiling water to just cover the petals.
- Stir the mixture well and you’ll see the colour of the water start to change!
- Repeat the steps with the various colours!
Additional Tips:
- Alter the shades: Experiment with lemon juice and baking soda in your flower mixtures to watch how the colours change!
- Safety first: Not all flowers are edible, so ensure that you are using bowls and containers that are dedicated for the paint. Learn more about edible flowers here!
Method from Rebecca Desnos.
