Air drying flowers?

I have air dried roses plenty of times by hanging them upside down in a dark place but everytime I try it with carnations they shrivel up beyond recognition!! I coated my most recent flower well in aerosol hairspray before trying it, should that help?

Air drying flowers?
You might not want to hang your carnations isnce they have very brittle petals and would jus shrivel (as you found out already). You can also use Borax or sand as described in the 1st link. I pasted the info below:





Flowers that cannot be dried upside-down can be preserved by


burial in sand or borax. Although clean, sharp, shore sand


is best, sand used by building contractors is nearly as


good. If using Borax, it must be noted that Borax MAY leave


a slight film that is difficult to remove from the


delicate-textured flowers. If Borax is indeed used, make


sure it is not lumpy--sifting may be necessary.





Sand must be clean and dry, as damp sand will spot and spoil


the flowers. It is recommended to use an ordinary cardboard


carton large enough to hold several flowers. Put several


thicknesses of newspaper in the bottom will provide


additional strength. Pour in the sand to a depth of about


four inches. Flowers should be stripped of all foliage and


stems cut to the desired length. Short stems can be


lengthened later with wire. The flowers should stand


upside down, their heads placed so they do not touch each


other, then pour sand gently over them. When the large


flowers are partially covered, the spaces in between can be


used for smaller flowers. Continue to pour on sand until


the flowers are buried, however, it is not necessary to


completely cover the stems, as most stems dry fairly easily


in air. Be sure there is sand between each petal and in the


trumpets of flowers like the daffodil and lily. If the


flower is spike-shaped (like the coral-bells or


bleeding-heart) or pyramidal (like the lilac), lay them


lengthwise in the box and cover them gently with sand. When


the flowers are thoroughly dried, brush off the sand with a


soft brush or tissue, and pack them in boxes. Each box


should be labeled with the flower names it contains and


store them in a cool dark place for at least two weeks. If


borax is used, be sure it is not lumpy--it may be necessary


to sift it.





Flowers that dry well in sand or borax are:





Asters Cornflower Loosestrife


Balloon-Flower Cosmos Liatris


Balsam Daffodils Lupine


Bleeding-Heart Dahlias Painted Daisy


Butterfly Bush Delphinium Pansies


Candytuft Dandelion Peony


Canterbury Bells Day-Lily Rose


Carnations (Pinks) Geranium Shasta Daisy


Chrysanthemum Gladiolus Stock


Coleus Leaves Gloriosa Daisy Snapdragons


Columbine Iris Tulip


Coneflower Lilac Zinnias


Coral-Bells Lily


Coreopsis Lily-of-the-Valley
Reply:Your best method to use is a floral preservative. It dries all the moisture in the flowers, yet retains the flower's color and shape (with some fading and shrinkage). The product is called Silica Gel, and is available in most craft stores, and is usable over and over.
Reply:Maybe that'll help but the moisture might not be able to get out of the coat of spray. The flower might just rot. You should try pressing the carnations in a book.

mobile