7 Little Changes That'll Make a Big Difference With Your tableware

[Lemon Ladawn]

It can be hard to throw away a vase full of cut flowers. I'm sure I'm not the only one who receives them so rarely that I can't stand to dispose of the special treat. I suppose that's why I hang them upside down to dry out in my garage. Of course, after awhile, it can start to look like a strange and morbid garden has grown on the ceiling. But there are plenty of crafty ways to use your dried flowers to compliment your house or pass the gift on to another deserving soul (although for some uses, you may want to press flowers rather than hanging them to dry).

™

1. Card stock. You've probably seen those insanely high-priced greeting cards made from handmade paper with leaves and flower petals meshed into it. While you might not want to go to the trouble of making your own paper (although, then again, you may), you can still make a unique look of your own. Simply distress some pre-made paper or card stock (rub it with coffee grounds, stain it with tea bags, and crumple it a bit) and then rub on a little tacky glue and carefully press the petals on. You can even sew around the edges with some gold thread for an expensive look at little cost.

2. Sachets. Instead of buying these handy little baggies to keep your lingerie drawer sweetly scented, get a breathable bag (or make one from linen, lace, or a tight mesh, like pantyhose), fill it with petals, and tie it with a pretty ribbon. Voila! Instant potpourri. And you can always make a fancier version for gifts.

3. Decoupage. If you just can't figure out what to do with that old coffee table that's been in your house forever (you know, the one with the stained top), then consider giving it a floral makeover. Go to your local craft store and pick up some decoupage glue, a brayer (this is a smoothing tool that's sort of like a rolling pin, but if you don't want to buy one, opt for Popsicle sticks instead) and a sponge or paintbrush. From there, all you have to do is paint a layer of glue on the surface, place the petals in any pattern or arrangement you choose, and seal it with one or more layers of glue that you can smooth and flatten with the brayer (the end result should be fairly smooth, although you may need to sand it lightly).

4. Wall art. Old-timey hand-drawn flowers torn from the pages of flora and fauna guidebooks have recently made their way into home stores everywhere in dried flowers the guise of chic, framed art for your powder room. So make your own by pressing small wildflowers, pasting them to yellowed card stock, and writing their Latin name in script. Then throw them in an old frame you found at a garage sale to give them that antique-y look you love (for less).

5. Hats. If you're one of the many women who appreciate a good chapeau, then pretty up your brim with some dried blooms. Probably the best method for drying them is to use glycerin (which leaves the flowers slightly malleable and lasts longer than other methods). Simply submerge them in a solution of two parts warm water to one part antifreeze (or other glycerin) for two to three weeks before you hang them to dry. Once they are completely dry, simply affix them to your hat with pins or ribbons. They won't last forever, and you'll want to avoid getting them wet, but they can make a nice seasonal addition to your favorite summer hat.

Flower preserving has been with us since colonial times. You can save flora in out of the ordinary ways such as drying with air then squeezing, or by means of a number of drying agents including sand, home-produced concoctions silica gel, as well as chemical mixtures.

Keep in mind, many flowers dry perfectly, including Baby's Breath, Cattails, Yarrow, Solidago, wildflowers of many types etc. Flora are a symbol of harmony and reflect freshness, to those that admire them. Nonetheless, newly picked flowers don't typically last all that long. Drying flowers properly will end up helping your flowers last in their original style, robustness, color and consistency.

1 - Flowers and herbs hung upside down in bunches is the most common way to dry them. A rubber band fastened around the stem ends works well.Place them in a warm, dry place with good air circulation, take off the excess leaves, and keep them out of direct sunlight to reduces discoloration and fading. after a few weeks, discard any that you don't like, spray the rest with lacquer or even hair spray to keep them even longer.

2 - Some chemical compounds such as glycerin are also able to preserve flowers. Flowers like Bells of Ireland are acknowledged to show good color retention when saved in this manner.

3 - Covering the flowers with a dessicant is one of the best ways of drying flowers. By drying the flowers in a dessicating material allows them to dry flawlessly preserving the shape and color more effectively than other means

4 - Pressing is the most popular custom of drying fresh flowers. Flowers are neatly straightened and held between sheets of paper and held down. This ensures that the pigments are not lost and the color remains intact. Special apparatus known as plant presses offer outstanding results. This approach must be used whilst the flowers are newly picked, so that they stay the same in the dried form. Violets, pansies, larkspur and ferns preserve nicely when pressed this way. These dried flowers can be prearranged in framed displays.

5 - Hydrangeas, yarrow, bells-of-Ireland and celosia dry well using water drying as a way to preserve fresh flowers. In using this method, stems of the flowers are originally positioned in a couple of inches of water, the cut flowers drink up the water as it evaporates. The container and flowers ought to be in a dry, warm and dark spot.