Is there anything more beautiful than vibrant bright flowers displayed around the home? A gorgeous way to keep the essence of summer and spring in the home is to preserve flowers in oil!
There are many different ways flowers can be preserved but one of my favourites has to be in baby oil. What’s so great about this is how simple, cheap and unique each jar of flowers will be.
Adding vibrance, life and a little joy in every room they are placed, these are sure to be a win in your home!
So, let’s find out what flowers you should use to make these beautiful flower decorations.
What Flowers To Use In Your Herbarium
What type of flowers are best to use in your jars, fresh or dried?
While you can use either, the best option is to use dried flowers. You are not just limited to flowers herbs are wonderful to add for more greenery as well!
The reason is the dried flowers don’t have the extra moisture in them that can cause spoilage, so they tend to last a lot longer than if you used fresh flowers.
You can definitely use fresh flowers but be prepared to change the flowers out sooner is all.
How To Dry Flowers
Now of course you can buy dry flowers if you like! But maybe you have some lovely flowers you want to preserve yourself.
Here are some different ways you can dry flowers at home.
Air Drying: If you have a bouquet or some lovely flower you want to preserve you can easily air dry them. Simply tie the stems together and hang them upside down, away from direct sunlight in a well ventilated area.
You know they are done when they feel crispy to the touch. This process can take about 2 weeks to one month!
Oven: Remove the leaves on the lower stem and lay them on a lined tray. Preheat oven to 175f/80C and bake them for about 2-3 hours.
Check them every hour if they feel crunchy, they are ready. Take them out and let them cool down before using them.
Dehydrator: I love using my dehydrator! Simple place your flowers on the dehydrator tray. It’s easier if you do put baking paper down first!
I heat them at a low temperature of 50C/120F for about 12-16 hours depending on the flowers. This helps to really keep the vibrant colours in place!
Press Flowers: This one will give you flat flowers instead of 3d ones like the above drying options. It’s very easy to do.
Ideally you want flat flowers which you will place between 2 pieces of paper or baking paper. Then place a heavy book or object on top and leave it there for 2-4 weeks depending on the flowers.
Supplies Needed for Flower Jars
You only need a few supplies, and these are all cheap or even things you already have!
- Clean glass or plastic jars of choice. I do prefer glass though.
- Dried or fresh flowers. Cut stems down and make sure they will fit your jar.
- Baby oil: This oil is best to use because it’s clear, it contains a higher amount of glycerol and won’t take away your flowers colour.
- It’s also cheap and you can reuse it again for your next batch!
- Skewers or chopstick (optional): This is handy when you are trying to place your flowers in certain spots in your jar.
How To Preserve Flowers In Oil
This is seriously just so easy, so here it goes.
- Grab your clean chosen jars with lids. They can be plastic or glass.
- Fill the jar 3/4 of the way with baby oil.
- Start carefully placing your flowers in the jar, use a long skewer or chopstick to help put them into place.
- Fill the jar the rest of the way and secure the lid.
- That’s it! Now place it in a spot away from direct sunlight and you are good to go!
Side note: Once they start to fade which is about a year for dried flowers. You can simply strain out the oil, discard the old flowers and reuse the baby oil again with new flowers!
That’s what I have been doing and it’s worked just fine for the 2nd round!
Questions and Answers
Can I preserve fresh flowers in oil?
You can preserve fresh flowers in oil, but they do not last as long as dried flowers. The water content found in fresh flowers can make them rot faster.
How long do dried flowers last in oil?
Dried flowers can last about 1 whole year in oil before you will want to replace them.