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For
many young people, prom is the crowning event
of their teenage years. Everything about the
night is magical and they want to hang on to
those memories. One of the most special parts
of the evening is the gorgeous corsage her date
chose with her and her lovely gown in mind.
Those memories are meant to last, and you can
help by preserving or drying her corsage so
that it's almost as lovely as the day she received
it.
Among the most popular, tried, and true methods
of preserving flowers is pressing them. This
is an easy and effective method if you wish
to place the flowers in a frame or scrapbook.
To press flowers, you'll need:
* Two pieces of corrugated cardboard.
* Several sheets of newspaper or white paper
towels.
* A flat board.
* A heavy weight (bricks work nicely).
Once you've gathered the necessary materials,
follow these easy steps:
1. Place one sheet of cardboard on your work
surface.
2. Lay several sheets of newspaper on top of
the cardboard.
3. Arrange the flowers on top of the newspaper.
4. Place several more sheets of newspaper over
the flowers.
5. Set the cardboard on top of the newspaper.
6. Place the board on top of the newspaper.
7. Put the weight on top of the board.
Place the flower press in a warm dry room and
allow two to three weeks. Check the flowers
every two to three days and change the papers
to prevent molding and help the flowers to dry
more quickly.
Pressing works very well if you wish to yield
one-dimensional flowers in the end. However,
if you'd like your flowers to retain their shape,
you'll need to try another method, such as simple
air-drying. To air dry your flowers:
1. Secure the corsage to a hanger or hook so
that it can hang loosely upside down.
2. Hang the flowers in a warm, dark, dry room.
3. Allow one to three weeks for complete drying.
These two methods are the most commonly used
at-home methods for preserving flowers, but
there are several more. Other methods include
chemical drying, preserving with glycerin, sand
drying, and preserving with shellac. Some methods
are certainly more difficult and costly than
others, so you should do your research before
embarking on this task. Ask your florist if
he or she has any other ideas, tips, or services
for flower preservation. With a little time
and effort, you can keep prom memories fresh
forever.
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