How can I reuse or recycle … dried fresh flowers?

Dried flowerBack in the day when John used to buy me flowers*, if possible, I would keep and dry the flowers to preserve the gift.

I’ve ended up with quite a stash of dried flowers hanging from various parts of the kitchen because I couldn’t think what to do with them once they were dried.

They are not flowers grown intending to be dried so they don’t hold their petals enough to be used in a dried flower arrangement – and I’m not really a dried flower arrangement girl anyway. I’m not really a pot pourri fan either – the cats would just try to eat it. Or poo in it.

So any non-flower-arrangement, non-pot-pourri-in-bowls reuses for dried flowers? It seems a shame to just compost them after all this time but they’re just getting knocked about in their current position.

* This isn’t a dig at him: he doesn’t buy me flowers now because I made him stop for environmental reasons. We have lots of (home-grown) plants around the house instead now.

(Photo by Christopher Rayan/StockXpert)

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15 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle … dried fresh flowers?”


  1. Lynn Beyer says:

    I make my own soap and use (semi-) dried petals in it to make it more interesting. Yours might not have much smell left if they’ve been dried for a long time and might be too brittle to use but it might be worth a try if you make soap too.

    Lynn

  2. Rosie says:

    Also candles can be made with petals in them.. unless as Lynn says they too brittle.
    perhaps it may have been better to press them instead of drying? I know the horse has bolted but just a suggestion.
    if they had been pressed then they would have had a myriad of applications..altho I wouldnt applaud it as you see my views below.
    Glad to read you nolonger have cut flowers..good for you.
    i love to have a growing plant as a gift in the house but I consider the cutting of flowers to be denying life to a living organism..they should be allowed to live out their natural life in the soil.
    (Gets off soapbox)
    Regards
    Rosie

  3. If they smell a bit, you can make them into your own pot pourri. Put them in the living room and your house will smell nicer.

  4. rita says:

    Use them as an extra feature when wrapping a gift. Presents wrapped in brown paper with raffia around them tied with a bow and then a dried flower placed behind the bow look great.

  5. Joan says:

    If they have faded and look tatty you can compost them

  6. ashelynn says:

    Keep your clear; semi-hard plastic packaging from products at the store (not plastic wrap, but a box). I had a nice tall one and wound up trimming all of my dried flowers and filled the box with them. It’s like a 3-D piece of art, and your flowers won’t get dusty!

  7. Mel says:

    OKay- I have a freind that has TONS on dried roses, so she made wreath out of them. She brought a nice cheap wreath and somehow attached the roses to the wreath. Even the brown ones look good. It looks like she bought it at a home decorating store.

  8. michelle says:

    Mel I like your idea, you could even use a spray paint to add different colors to the wreath. If you use the flower to add to wrapping that’s nice too but then someone else is throwing it away.
    You could also use my service and have me recycle your flowers for you! I create keepsakes from flower petals.

  9. Anonymous says:

    You can make beads out of them.

  10. Olia says:

    If the flowers are just dried roses, then use petals for a tea. Cut out the bottom part of the petals.


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