Flower Pressing Inspiration: 7 Ideas and 7 Artists
Observations ranging from the sentimental to the ethical, from the poetic to the practical, drawn from my own experiences squashing pretty petals between cardboard and crossing my fingers.
This article was originally published on a WordPress blog that I’ve retired in favor of Substack. Thanks for reading!
If you’re searching for flower pressing inspiration, look no further! First up in this post: seven ways that the art of flower pressing can transform your perspectives. These observations range from the sentimental to the ethical, from the poetic to the practical. And they’re all drawn from my own personal experiences squashing pretty petals between cardboard and crossing my fingers.
Once your mindset has been thoroughly transformed, stick around to meet seven artists on Instagram whose pressed flower creations will inspire your next project.
7 ways flower pressing will change your outlook on life
1. You'll really stop and smell the roses
Once you start incorporating pressed flowers in your art and crafts, you’ll immediately start recognizing the beauty and value in a few small flower petals. A bright burst of color or the sinuous curve of a leaf will immediately catch your eye.
Since spring finally sprung in Chicago, I can barely walk in a straight line around my neighborhood! There are just so many exquisite blooms peeking through the wrought iron gates along each street. Each one is a miracle, and I can’t help but be astonished by their beauty.
Even if you don’t press the flowers you see, you’ll have a different mindset. Being attuned to the botanical beauty around you will help you feel more present. You’ll start consciously noting and appreciating the little things that you’d normally miss.
Can you think of a lovelier way of practicing gratitude?
In the beauty of a flower we can see the truth of the universe.
- Juan Mascaró, from his Introduction to the Dhammapada
2. You'll discover a delightful new way of gathering memories
Despite what the digital age would have you believe, memory-keeping isn’t only about snapping photos or documenting your life experiences in a series of posts. Pressed flowers can be an analog way to preserve moments and memories.
I recently discovered a whole envelope full of pressed flowers that were plucked from my mother’s garden many years ago. The collection of deep purple and yellow pansies and pink cherry blossoms perfectly captured that specific season – not only in nature but in my own creative journey.
You can preserve your wedding bouquet in a framed pressed flower composition, or save a few petals you received on another significant occasion.
But even something as simple as plucking a wildflower and pressing it in a favorite book can transport you unlike any picture or post caption can.
3. You'll value patience over instant gratification
There are no quick fixes when it comes to flower pressing. It’s true that you can technically microwave or iron flowers to dry them out, but traditional flower pressing takes time.
It involves delicately placing blossoms and petals between sheets of blotting paper, compressing them between layers of cardboard (or pages in a book), and setting them aside for 2 to 3 weeks.
Many crafts require hours of concentrated effort as you slowly work your way toward a finished product, but with flower pressing it’s mostly a waiting game. You can’t even observe what’s happening!
But when you unfold the blotting paper and reveal what’s inside, it’s pure magic.
4. You'll be surprised at how resourceful you can be
It doesn’t take much to press a flower. Just gather together a few scraps of paper, pieces of cardboard, and a weighty object to set on top. Or pull out all those hefty old textbooks that have been collecting dust and press the flowers in their pages.
You might even get clever sandwiching petals between a stack of paper plates. Or, if you want to get fancy, try constructing your own flower press using two pieces of wood and four screws.
I tend to gather more blooms than I can squeeze into my small wooden press, so I rely on a combination of these methods.
And even if every corner of my desk appears to be taken, I can always find a spot to stack a pile of books or a flower press for a few weeks’ time.
5. You'll find beauty in the unexpected
Sayings like “bloom where you’re planted” reference the burst of life that flowers demonstrate as a metaphor for human life. The vision of a shriveled-up plant isn’t used in many uplifting metaphors. If anything, it’s used as a metaphor for death! (I can’t tell you how shocked I was upon hearing about the senior living community called “Autumn Leaves”…)
But with flower pressing, you can preserve the beauty of a flower’s life long after its prime. Its beauty will be transformed, of course, but in a unique and natural way.
Light-colored flowers and thin petals often come out of the press as delicate, even translucent reminders of their former glory. Sometimes the pressed petals aren’t as attractive as they once were. White flowers may turn brown; green leaves may fade to yellow.
But despite these curious results, the pressed petals possess a spectral, almost sacred beauty.
Love is like dried flowers sometimes. Even though you watch the petals shrink and change colour, you cannot help treasuring them.
- Munia Khan
6. You'll witness art and science hand in hand
If fall into the flower-pressing rabbit hole, you’ll soon bump into botany. It’s impossible to discuss proper pressing techniques without referencing the scientific study of plants.
Flat flowers can be easily pressed without any disturbance while voluminous blooms must be taken apart. Roses, for instance, can be scientifically deconstructed to separate their petals, sepals, stems, and leaves. Their components can then be pressed individually and pieced back together once flattened and dried.
The work of a botanist and the work of a botanical artist aren’t all that different when it comes to getting to know the intricacies of flowers.
After all, art and science are just two sides of the same coin – as those who bother to flip the coin can attest.
7. You'll start to reexamine your principles
All poetic waxing aside, once you realize the beauty and simplicity of flower pressing you’ll start to get a little greedy.
If you’re a person of strong principle you’ll sternly resist the temptations of winking flowers in other peoples’ gardens. But if you’ve cultivated a delightful garden, can you bear to cut down your own handiwork for the sake of another art form?
And what about those innocuous plants by the wayside? Can’t you just pluck just one blossom from this branch? Nobody’s looking…
As innocent as it may seem, picking wildflowers is not only frowned upon but it could be illegal in your area. Unfortunately, wildflower removal strips the natural landscape of some of its beauty and also sends ripples of consequences through the ecosystem.
This realization has given me a greater appreciation for the humble wildflower and the agencies that work to protect it. And it’s empowered me to source flowers creatively and ethically.
Will you approach your art in the same way?
7 flower pressing artists to follow on Instagram
Ready to start pressing flowers of your own? Check out this bouquet of artists whose Instagram accounts will inspire your next flower pressing project.
1. @FRAMEDFLORALS
For light and airy arrangements that will charm the romantic and the minimalist alike, follow Lacie RZ Porta of Framed Florals:
2. @LENAKLYEVA
Check out multitalented artist Lena Klyeva to indulge in the moody and nostalgic nature of flower pressing:
3. @MODERNPRESSEDFLOWER
Collage artist Tricia Paoluccio of Modern Pressed Flower creates delicate, dreamy combinations of pressed flowers with textured papers:
4. @BRITNEYSMITHART
Britney Smith delicately arranges her blooms in bouquet-style compositions that look fresh as a daisy:
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5. @FIORIPRESSEDFLOWER
To see how photos can be framed by pressed flowers, take a look at the repertoire of Fiori Pressed Flower:
6. @SEEKANDBLOOMCO
Ashley of Seek and Bloom arranges pictures and words with petals:
7. @DESIGNS.BY.ANDREA
Andrea C. of Designs by Andrea often takes a bright and whimsical approach to this art form:
Which pressed flower artists do you admire? Has flower pressing changed your outlook in any way? I'd love to hear your thoughts!