What's the best way to press flowers within a 3 week time-frame?

Heya. I need to press dry some flowers, Lavandula officinalis (lavender) and Calendula officinalis (marigold) as part of an assignment due in 3 weeks time. What's the best method to use if you need to transfer them into an artbook and have them stay/stick without damaging the delicate flower heads? What type of materials will I need, and will plain blotting paper be ok? Part of the stem will also be dissected, will I need to use another method to dry that part?





Thank you! ^_^

What's the best way to press flowers within a 3 week time-frame?
What I always do is I take two tissues and place the flowers or plants between them, put heavy books above and below, and then put them in out side attic. I don't think pressing flowers usually takes more than a couple weeks. The marigold will definitely take longer than the lavender, so you might want to put a LOT of books on that one, because marigolds have such a thick sepal. You can place the whole flower in together, and tweezers are probably good for taking it from the tissue to the page. Only the thinner flowers are in danger of breaking by movement, so be careful with the lavender, you might even take the tissue directly above the page and carefully remove it and place it straight on your art book. what I've always done is to take decoupage glue and apply it in brush strokes with a wide paintbrush.
Reply:honestly? Put them in a dry room, not the living room cellar attic or room with cracks where moister might leak in and slow down the dry process, it would be best to hang them upside down, in a closed off, warm room. (keep a heater on in the room if you can!) after the flowers are dry place them in a heavy book, preferably the back of one, for about three days, then it should be safe to iron them to keep them flat!


Nicki Chaotic
Reply:You can press them quickly in a microwave oven too. Check this page at my site for some info on several ways to do it:


http://glassattic.com/polymer/mixing_med...


(... click on *Dried Nature* ...then scroll down to the section called "Quick-Drying Flowers %26amp; Plant Material--In a Microwave"...)





For any thicker wetter parts you want to press, just do them separately and adjust the time/etc since they won't dry out as quickly as the thinner parts.








HTH,





Diane B.
Reply:Generally, I've always pressed my flowers in big heavy books, I know that some one will not touch in at least 3 weeks.


Check out the web sites and hopefully they are helpful for your project.


Good luck.