Dried Petal Jewellery
Did you know, you can order dried petal jewellery as a keepsake from your wedding, christening or a funeral? Just keep a few heads from the flowers and we can send you an inclusion kit.
Please don't panic about adding more stress to the day with the flowers. They can wait a day or two especially for petals, but you could ask the florist to choose a few petals for you from the bunch and pop them in silica gel to dry or you can ask a relative to do that. Doesn't need to be silica gel, you can just put petals wrapped loosely in kitchen roll on a radiator or a sunny windowsill.
Dried Petal Jewellery: Keeping Memories Alive
The most special moments in our lives are are often marked by the prettiness and scent of flowers. Whether it's happy Christening or wedding bouquets or solemn funeral flower tributes, they all have a special emotional depth. But what happens when they start to wilt and go brown? The pretty colours can be celebrated and the sentiment cherished with dried petal jewellery. This completely unique jewellery gives you a tangible of the special day.
Wedding Flowers: Your wedding ceremony bouquet is an image of love, commitment, and the beginning of a brand new chapter. The flowers you select mirror your style and represent your love together. Preserving those petals lets in you to keep onto a piece of the day as a keepsake, perfect for wearing for each anniversary celebration.
Baptism and Christening Flowers: The flowers you have at your baby's christening or baptism can be a perfect keepsake of the day
Funeral Flowers: Funeral flowers are usually left at the grave or the crematorium but you can keep a few flowers or even just a few petals. These flowers provide comfort, show sympathy, and honour the lifestyles of a cherished one. Turning those petals into jewellery can offer a tangible connection to the person who has passed away.
Turning Petals into Precious Keepsakes: Drying Petals for Jewellery
The first vital step in growing dried petal jewellery is nicely drying your flowers. Here are some methods:
- Air Drying: Easiest method, no need to buy anything. Hang small bunches of flowers the wrong way up in a cool, dark, and dry location with correct air circulation. This can take a couple of weeks.
- Pressing: Place a few petals between kitchen roll in a heavy book. Change the paper each few days. This technique is good for flatter portions and we can use them in jewellery just fine
- Silica Gel: This granular substance absorbs moisture fast and enables petals hold their form and colour better. Bury the plants in silica gel in a Tupperware type container. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for drying time but it can be anywhere from a week to a few months
- Microwaving (with caution): This is a quicker technique however calls for cautious tracking to keep away from burning. Place petals among paper towels in the microwave and warm in brief bursts, checking frequently. I do 10 seconds at a time
- Reptile Mat or Seedling Mat: a week or two
- Radiator or Heated Airer: a few days, depending on the thickness of the flowers
- Dehydrator: Use the setting in an air fryer, (my Ninja has one), in a dehydrator unit or even in an oven with the door propped open with a wooden spoon
Tips for Success:
Handle with Care: Dried petals are fragile, so handle them gently! Work in a clean environment, especially for white petals because they can show dirt, dust and fluff. Dry completely so that when we seal them in jewellery, they will stay dry for life.
Please remember, some colours fade more than others in the course of drying. All petals will fade eventually in resin so we usually add a little extra pigment if the petals are the star of the show. If we are adding crushed petals to our resin sparkle mix then we can keep the natural colour.
Online Tutorials: YouTube and craft blogs are remarkable sources for step by step tutorials on diverse dried petal jewellery strategies or you can order a piece of our expert-made keepsake petal jewellery, combining petals with fabric, your loved one's hair, birthstone etc. Just choose "hair" from the list of inclusions and let us know you're sending dried petals instead in the comments (they're the same price)
More Than Just Jewellery: Other Ways to Preserve Petals
Whilst jewellerry is a great option, dried petals also can be used for different significant keepsakes:
Potpourri: Create an aromatic combination with dried petals and essential oils.
Bookmarks: Press petals and laminate them to create particular bookmarks. My grandmum did this with an iron to laminate the plastic (please be careful!)
Birthday Cards: Glue pressed petals to handmade cards for a personal touch.
Shadow Boxes: Put dried petals in the bottom or glue them to the background then add photos of your loved ones, pieces of jewellery, locks of hair and other small keepsakes as a lasting tribute
Bath Soaks: Incorporate dried petals into home made bath soaks for a high-end and beautiful experience.
In Conclusion:
Don't let the splendor and sentiment of your wedding ceremony or funeral flowers fade away. By embracing the artwork of dried petal jewellery, you can turn those ephemeral blooms into lasting reminders of love, pleasure, and remembrance. Whether you select to create a piece of jewellery with our skilled artisans, or try other methods to preserve the petals, you'll keep the memory alive, near your heart, for years to come. - Nikki
