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Creative Ways To Preserve Your Valentine’s Day Flowers

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DESU chapter.

Every year people spend over $25 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts which include chocolate, cards, plushies, and flowers. More than 250 million roses, specifically, are estimated to be grown each year for the special day. Whether you are a rose or a tulip girl, flowers are a beautiful gift and addition to your room.

We all wish our flowers could last forever, so why not try to preserve them? Receiving flowers from someone you love can become even more special if you decide to save them. Here are some creative ideas for you to try, no green thumb required.

Press the flowers

Pressing flowers or even just the petals of your bouquet can create a beautiful work of art in just a couple of weeks. Using items that you have at home such as heavy books and paper, you can DIY an art piece that you can hang in a picture frame or tape in a journal. Make sure to date your pieces! It is best to do this process before they start to wilt as a dying flower will wither away. 
Tutorial: https://youtu.be/aoXfocdh6L4?si=A547AbZQgteecbdf

Save the petals for your wedding day

My personal favorite, saving petals for your future wedding. This process will probably take a while before most people get to make use of it, but it’ll be worth it in the end! Instead of having your flower girl throw fresh petals down the aisle, having the petals from previous flowers your significant other got you will show them even more just how much they mean to you. Having a mix of old and new flowers can be beautiful as well to signify the future you’re about to create and commemorate the past.
Tutorial: https://youtu.be/u5NZ8HCidfY?si=nqyHDjEvZzWLu4Wm

Dry the bouquet

If you can’t bear to part ways with your bouquet, consider saving the entire thing. This process can become tricky due to having to avoid mold, but when done right, you can save a gorgeous bouquet for much longer. If you don’t mind the dried-out look, a preserved bouquet can be used as a nice piece of decor for all of your plant lovers out there. Hanging them on a wall, or leaving them in a vase is my go-to.

Tutorial: https://youtu.be/03FzJ8NyfNw?si=hFppjL-UshFnEdaV

TUrn them into jewelry

Love your flowers, but don’t want them lying around the house? Turning them into jewelry is a great option for you. This project is a bit more advanced than the others, but with practice, you can carry a symbol of your love with you everywhere. Once you dry out your flowers, the options are endless! Resin jewelry projects work the best with flowers as it is clear and won’t damage the flowers. Necklaces, rings, and earrings are all good choices. 

Tutorial: https://youtu.be/xxMi652PlHE?si=utfoVc3yLQKYVufz

Receiving flowers from your loved ones is always a nice treat, but preserving them will keep the memories alive forever. No matter what you choose, I am confident that any of these ideas will work!

My name is Savannah Smalley, I am a sophomore at Delaware State University, and I am majoring in Agriculture with a concentration in plant sciences, and a minor in environmental science. My goal is to become a successful botanist, and I will achieve that. I am a senior editor for my campus’s chapter of Her Campus. My hobbies include reading, writing, playing video games, growing plants, and playing sports. When I am not writing for Her Campus, I take part in other organizations at my school such as the alliance for minorities participation (AMP), minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and related sciences (MANNRS), and The environmental alliance (TEA). I’ve been writing my entire life through stories, essays, newspaper articles, and more as a way to express myself. I graduated high school with an award in creative writing, and I plan on continuing my writing journey through my college career.