My grandma Jacqueline gifted me with a flower press as a child and to this day, I am still completely enamored with it. Whether glued to handmade cards, decoupaged onto small boxes or around picture frames, placed in the center of jewelry pieces or shadow boxes to hang on the wall– pressed flowers are simply one of the most charming accoutrements of any gift. Flowers are nature's sweetest, most temporary sentiments and to press them, is to treasure their charm and innocence, for a lifetime.

To press flowers, ferns, leaves, and herbs – you must remove as much moisture as possible without spoiling their form. Hang upside down with twine for a day or two or use paper towels and a heavy book before continuing. When drying foliage, be sure that the air is dry and the light is low to avoid rotting or fading of color.

To preserve color, you may want to consider brushing or spraying the leaves with glycerin before pressing, which is available at your local craft store. Certain flowers are more prone to fading and you may want to dye those varieties if you intend on using them repeatedly in the future. (I'm more a fan of the natural look but, to each their own).

Pressing flowers is as simple as using moisture absorbent tissue, paper towels, or cardboard on either side of the foliage with the addition of the heavy weights of books or the tightening of long bolts and wing-nuts on a traditional flower press. If you plan on doing lots of pressing, you can easily make your own press or buy one. However books and paper or tissue work well for the hobbyist.

Once you have your beautifully pressed flowers- what will you do with them? They are precious keepsakes and can be given in small books, glued onto the front of cards, boxes, or frames, encapsulated between crystal or glass to hang in a window or suspended in pendants or earrings. Weaving them around the brim of a hat or made into a wreath or an ornament for the wall are some of the ideas that jump to mind, when I think of pressed flowers. Pressing herbs for an heirloom cookbook, or ferns to decoupage onto a nightstand are even more ideas! Let your imagination run wild!

Whatever the season, whatever the reason- don't let those meaningful flowers die. Keep them and give them forever, with a little pressing and a little time. Those special moments are not meant to be forgotten and with a little know-how, anyone can preserve Mother Nature's sweetest remembrances.