Does hairspray preserve a bouquet?

I heard somewhere that if you spray your bouquet with hairspray and dry it out, it will keep its form and shape? Any advice?

Does hairspray preserve a bouquet?
How to


Dry Flowers





Love your flower bouquet so much you don't want to have to let it go? Consider preserving it with our easy-to-follow guide. Let us show you how to dry flowers in a matter of a few simple steps, so that you can keep your special memories close for years to come. Whether you choose to hang the flowers on their own or add them to another crafts-related project, you'll love the delicate beauty of your dried flower bouquet. Interested in an added twist? We'll show you how to dry flowers in the microwave!





Before you get started, you'll need to assess whether your flower bouquet will dry well. Blooms should not be fully mature or they will lose their petals in the flower drying process. Also, consider the type of flowers you are using. Air drying will work for more robust varieties such as roses or small, long-lasting varieties like lavender. For more delicate flowers like lilies, try another preservation technique, such as pressing. Gerbera daisies, chrysanthemums, roses, and tulips are great candidates for the microwave flower drying technique, a process that will preserve their color and structure better than air drying does.





How to Air Dry Flowers


(using everyday household items)





1. Strip excess foliage from your flowers and cut the stems to your desired length (but not shorter than six inches). To help your flowers maintain their color during the drying process, it is important that you remove them from sunlight as soon as they're cut. Rubber band bunches of stems together if you would like to hang a bouquet, or leave the stems be if you'd like to hang the flowers individually.





2. Find a dark, dry area with good circulation. An unused closet will work perfectly. With unflavored dental floss, secure the bottom end of the flower’s stem to a hanger. You may hang two flowers/bunches on each hanger by hanging items from each side, or you can hang one flower/bunch by hanging it from the middle. Once secure, hang flowers upside down to dry. Leave your flowers there for a good two to three weeks and make sure not to remove them until they are completely dry.





3. Remove the flowers from the hangers and spray them with hairspray to give them some extra protection. You can now hang your dried flowers around the house as you please, remove the petals and make potpourri, or use them in a crafts-related project to make a thoughtful gift for someone else. Dried flowers don't like sunlight or extreme heat, so try to find homes for them in more shaded areas.





How to Dry Flowers with a Microwave


(requires items found in craft stores)





1. Find a microwave-safe container that will hold your flowers and fit into the microwave. (Do not use a dish you might want to use for food again after this project.) Your flowers will dry to the shape of the bottom of your container if you do not support them, so you will need to use silica gel in the container to help the flowers maintain their shape. Cover the bottom of the container with about an inch or two of silica gel (more for larger blossoms), place your flowers in the gel with the flower blossom opening upward, and then gently pour gel over the flower to ensure all petals are positioned to dry properly. If you are not careful with the gel, you can flatten your petals. Still, be liberal with it for best results. Don't worry; your silica gel can be used over and over again.





2. Microwave temperature and time will vary from flower to flower, so find the right recipes by trial and error. Place your uncovered container in the microwave. A safe bet is to start the microwave on one or two levels above defrost for 2-5 minutes. Roses can withstand more heat; daisies prefer lower temperatures. Start with a short amount of time, checking your flower's progress periodically. If it doesn't seem to be drying, you can increase heat and time accordingly.





3. Once your flowers have dried, open the microwave and immediately cover the container. Remove the covered container from the microwave, open the top a quarter of a centimeter, and let it sit for 24 hours. Once the flowers have cooled, clean off the petals with a fine brush and mist them with an acrylic spray. Voila! Fresh baked flowers!





Whichever method you choose, we hope that you might find a new hobby in our How to Dry Flowers guide. We all wish our fresh flowers lived forever, but now you can preserve your special bouquet and enjoy it for years to come. There are meanings and expressions behind all flower gifts, so we hope we helped in making your memories last.





This is the airspray method:





Learning how to preserve flowers is a great way to keep those beautiful bouquets lasting longer. It is not terribly difficult, with a bit of time and patience you will have a lasting bouquet for years to come.





To preserve your flowers the only ingredient you need is a bottle of aerosol hairspray. To begin simply gather your flowers and spray with hairspray before they begin to die. If you wait until they die the color will be gone and you can't bring it back.





Next just find a cool, dry and dark place such as a basement or closet and hang the flowers upside down until they dry. It may take a few days to dry but be patient. If you try to arrange them too soon you will damage the flower petals and possible the entire flower. Once they are completely dry you can arrange them in a vase or however you wish. Your flowers will stay beautiful for years to come. Just keep in mind they are very fragile and will break easily when handled.





Another popular method for long lasting flowers is to preserve them by pressing. Using some wax paper or paper towels place flowers in between them and put them in a book. The easiest way is to put more books on top or some thing heavy. The flowers should stay there for a while just remember to check them every few days. After a week or so the flowers will be pressed flat. You can then use them as decoration in picture frames, scrapbooks or albums. You can laminate some of them with a picture from the special occasion and make a beautiful bookmark.





There are so many different ideas to use them in such as when making cement stepping stones for your garden. Cut the bottom 6 inches of a five gallon bucket off. Line the bottom piece you cut away with wax paper, and then pour instant cement into the wax paper. Let it set partway and then sprinkle the flowers onto the cement. Let it dry the rest of the way. When the cement is completely dry take it out of the bucket and peel away the wax paper. Now you have a permanent stepping stone for your garden.





If you do not want to preserve the flowers yourself you can take them to a florist and for a small fee they will do it for you. Any way you choose to preserve your flowers will leave you a lasting treasure to share with future generations.
Reply:I I do not see why it would not work... I used hairspray to keep cat tails looking good and they lasted a good 3 years before my ex husband destroyed them during the divorce. I had 4 or 5 tails and on one of them, I pulled some of the "stuffing" out of it and sprayed it to keep it looking as though it was "flowering naturally" (I wish that I had taken some pictures of it, it was so pretty!)
Reply:Yeah I have tried it to dry roses. it works.
Reply:well i dont really know about that but i do know that putting in the fridge or freezer will keep the fresh for longer and frozen one can last weeks
Reply:I once sprayed it onto a fresh bouquet, and it died.








It needs to be applied to dry, not fresh flowers.





The best thing for you to do is to either press the flowers and laminated them, or you can store them in an airtight container padded with tissues/tissue paper so as not to damage them and keep them dry

erythema