Photo credit: Trudy Loosman

Flower pressing is a timeless (and eco-friendly) tradition, and the basic skills involved are learned by most school-aged girls. Many of us are familiar with the premise: flatten some flowers between the pages of a heavy book, close the book and add some weight, and wait.

There were several problems with this technique, however. The waiting was extensive, sometimes several weeks. Colors faded and books were sometimes marked up. Some flowers just didn't press well either due to lack of experience with flower pressing or because the colors of that particular flower don't hold up during pressing.

There is good news for those of you who would like to start pressing flowers or for those who already do this craft. New techniques and equipment have made flower pressing easier and faster, and much information is available on the internet about different techniques for both preparation of the flowers  (to preserve color and get the best blooms) and for pressing, including flower presses and even microwave presses.

Microwave flower presses have the advantage of pressing your flowers quickly. For flowers that tend to lose color, pressing flowers in the microwave can help preserve the vibrant hues of your favorite flowers.

You can also press leaves and other tidbits in the microwave with a microwave press.

Flower pressing in the microwave can seem intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, it's not that complicated. Most instructions on flower pressing in the microwave state that you should microwave in short bursts (about 30 seconds) and then remove the press to let the flowers cool and release steam. Some people prepare two or more presses and rotate them through the microwave to get their flowers ample time to cool during the pressing process. Regardless of how you choose to press your flowers in this manner, you will be pleased at how little time it takes.

Detailed instructions on pressing flowers in the microwave aren't very easy to come by only because each flower type varies when it comes to time required in the microwave to adequately press the flower. Like many natural crafts, flower pressing is definitely learned by trial and error.

If you'd like a quick and easy project for yourself or your kids, feel free to press flowers the old way.

Pressing Flowers

Grab a book with absorbent pages (like a phone book) and some fresh flowers.

Allow the flowers to dry (removing dew drops and other moisture) for a short while, then press your flowers onto a page, arranging them how you want, and press the book closed.

Add weight above the book to adequately press the flowers down.

Use a post-it or a label of some type to mark the date you began pressing, and perhaps the contents, and in about 4 weeks your flowers should be done and ready for more craft projects or just educational purposes.

You can also press foliage (greenery), though it takes special preparation and materials to preserve or even dye the foliage to keep its color through pressing.

As an aside, there is no better time than fall if you'd like to try wax paper pressing leaves with the kids. Many of us have done this simple craft but here's a refresher:

Pressing Wax Paper Leaves

Find some brightly colored leaves that are in-between wet/thick and dry/brittle. They're usually the ones with the best fall colors anyway.

Bring them home. Wipe off moisture (if there is any) and lay them flat inside the borders of a large piece of wax paper (wax side face up) with an inch or more of space between your leaves. Lay another piece of wax paper (wax side face down) atop your leaves and paper, making sure to cover all parts of the leaves.

Place an old cloth over your ironing board to protect it, and then place your new “leaf sandwich” over the cloth. Lay a thin dish towel or some other type of fabric over the top of your wax paper to protect your iron and the paper.

Set iron to medium to high, with no steam.

Slowly run iron atop your dish towel, making sure to iron lightly to keep the leaves from moving around before the wax starts to seal them in place.

Once the wax starts to seal, you can use the full weight of the iron to adequately press and seal the wax around all edges of your leaves. Try hitting all spots with the iron, and leaving the iron in place for about 4-5 seconds for each section of the paper.

Lift the rag once done to make sure the wax paper is melted and sealed. The leaves will look much clearer once the wax has melted.

Once the wax has sealed around your leaves, they're preserved. You can cut around the edges (but not too close or you'll break the wax seal) to make your preserved leaves more manageable.

You can put your new wax paper leaves in notebooks or paper projects, or as fall craft decorations around the house. Fall is a wonderful season for picking up a new craft or redecorating in rich, beautiful colors. Flower pressing is a craft that lets nature do the hard work for you. Have fun with it!