How to Dry Roses & Make a Rose Wreath

by Three Dogs in a Garden

One way to give Valentine's Day roses a second life is to dry them. You can also take a dozen dried sweetheart roses and make a pretty wreath.

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Roses in the dead of winter are such a lovely treat. If only they weren't so fleeting!

Generally the roses you buy at this time a year have travelled a long way and are weary after the miles and miles of travel. Four or five days and then they hang their heads in an exhausted slump.

How to Dry Roses:

It so easy to dry roses. Gather your roses into a bunch and secure then together with a rubber band. (The stems shrink a little as they dry and a rubber band adjusts to the changing size of your rose stems.)

Use a loop of the elastic band to hang your bunch of roses flower down to dry.

If you are drying more than one bunch of roses, allow space between them so the air can circulate.

Depending on humidity levels, a bunch of roses may take a week or two to dry. Dried correctly, the stems of the roses will be stiff and hard. The roses should be somewhat crisp to the touch.

Roses don't dry entirely true to color. There is always a bit of a shift. Cool pink roses become a soft mauve. Red roses turn a burnt shade of deep red.

White roses become cream and then more beige as they age. Yellow roses become a beige shade as well. As you might expect, multicoloured roses become an interesting mix of shades.

Dried roses are nice just as they are. You can also take the petals and make a sachet, fill a jar or even make a wreath.

What you need to make this project:

12 dried sweetheart roses

one bunch of dried seeded eucalyptus

an 6" grapevine wreath

scissors

glue gun and glue sticks

For detailed instructions, please visit my blog.

A wreath is a pretty way to prolong the romance of Valentine's Day roses!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

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Frequently asked questions

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2 questions

Sabrina on Feb 16, 2016
Love this...but I have one question....Is there anyway to preserve this?

4
Abaird on Feb 18, 2016
Should the roses be hung up to dry right after buying? I have wanted to dry some, but after I enjoyed them in water for several days, they opened up too much.

1

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Three Dogs in a Garden on Feb 16, 2016
Thanks everyone for your positive feedback!

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Far4615730 on Feb 17, 2016
Dry roses are the best natural laxative when brewed as herbal tea, and tasty aswell.

1 Reply
- Three Dogs in a Garden on Feb 17, 2016
  @Farhatmm A couple of summers ago I made rose petal jelly. It was wonderful and had a light apple-like taste.
  
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