How to create perfectly pressed flowers with a microwave flower press

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

In an earlier post, I wrote about how to press flowers the old-fashioned way using the book pressing method. That method worked great. The best thing about the book method is that you don’t have to buy anything as long as you have a few heavy books. However, the downside is time. It takes on average 3 weeks for flowers to dry using the book method. In this post, I write about how to create perfectly pressed flowers using a microwave flower press. More specifically, I will show you how to use the Microfluer microwave flower press.

Before I purchased my Microfluer, I read about several different DIY methods of microwave flower pressing. To be honest, I did not try any of those methods. Why, well the Microfluer works really well. Over the course of the past year, I have pressed 90% of my flowers using this microwave flower press. For larger flowers, I use a large wooden flower press. I will demonstrate that press in another post.

In the video below, I walk you through the process of drying a few different flowers in the Microfluer flower press.

Getting Started

At this point, I will assume that you have a Microfluer flower press. Whether you have the 5″ or 9″, both come with the same items. I have been using the 5″ press. Let’s look at what’s inside the box of the flower press. You get two of each of the following items:

• Platens are flat plastic platforms with holes in the top
• Plastic clips
• Wool felt pads
• Liners

The one flaw using the Microfluer is that flowers can stick to the liners. When sticking occurs it can be quite difficult to remove the flowers without damage. The good news is that there is a rather simple solution. I recommend purchasing a piece of 100% silk organza (or press cloth) at your local fabric store. Using this is the difference between a pleasant process and a frustrating process.

Use the included liners as a pattern to cut the silk organza to size. Place the flowers to be pressed on the silk organza and then place the second piece of silk organza on top of the flowers. In effect, you are adding another layer to what was included.

The Microwave

Just a few words about the microwave you use. Microwaves come in various wattages of power. Home microwaves are usually between 600 and 1200 watts of power. You can usually find the wattage on the inside or back of your microwave. Therefore, depending upon the strength of your microwave, it will take a different amount of time to dry flowers. The microwave I use is an 1100-watt microwave.

You will need to determine the right number of seconds to dry flowers based on your microwave. Thus, it’s important to start with less time as you begin the pressing process. Start with 15-20 seconds and adjust based on your own experience. Remember, you can always add more time but you can’t take it away.

In addition, some microwaves allow you to adjust the power level. You may want to start with 50% power until you get a good feel for the drying capability of your microwave.

Choosing Flowers

Similar to the book method, microwave flower pressing works best for thin plant material. You can pick flowers or purchase a bunch of flowers from a florist or the supermarket. Here are some guidelines for picking flowers.

• You want the freshest and most perfect plant material. Pick flowers that have just opened.
• Pick flowers after all dew have dried, midday is a good time. You want the least amount of moisture in the plant material.
• Don’t collect plant material on a rainy day. A bright sunny day is best.
• Press all plant material immediately after picking.

Flowers purchased from a supermarket are full of water and will likely take longer to dry. It’s important to check purchased flowers often to make sure they are not too wet while being pressed.

Some of the easiest flowers to press using this method are pansies, daisies, impatiens, hydrangea, verbena, dogwood blossoms, ferns, ivy, and most leaves. If you want to press whole flowers, whole plants, and plant material that is thick, then a wooden flower press is the best option. Store pressed flowers in a dry, airtight container, away from direct sunlight. Check stored flowers every now and then. If mold or mildews develops, discard the flower. To learn how I store my pressed flowers, read my post titled “An easy practical way to store dried pressed flowers“.

The flower drying process

Step 1

Let’s just review what is needed. First, you need the microwave flower press. Second, you need flowers. Third, cut pieces of silk organza to the size of the white liners. Fourth, your microwave. Fifth, either paper towels or a dishcloth. The dishcloth is needed to wipe the condensation from both the flower press platens and the wool felt after being put in the microwave.

Step 2

Open your flower press. Each side of the press should have the platen, a piece of felt, the liner, and a piece of silk organza (in that order). Place the flowers (saliva and veronica in this example) to be dried on top of the piece of silk organza. Cover with another piece of silk organza, the liner, the felt, and the second platon. I set the microwave timer for 20-30 seconds to dry these flowers.

Step 3

After the initial 20-30 seconds, place the flower press on the dishcloth. Take the top platen off the flower press. You will notice condensation on the inside of the platen (see above). Wipe this condensation off with either a paper towel or dishtowel. Turn the flower press over and do the same thing to the second paten.

Step 4

Next, perform the same drying process for the felt. The felt will also have condensation that should be dried.

Step 5

Check your flowers for dryness. Lift the white liner and silk organza. One indication of the flower being dry is stiffness. If the flower flops over, then place the press back into the microwave for an additional 10 seconds. Follow the above process of drying both the platen and felt again. Another indication that the flowers are dry is when there is no more condensation (or very little) on the platen and felt. Lastly, dried flowers should be easy to remove from the silk organza. If flower petals seem to be sticking, simply pull at the sides of the silk organza to release them.

Step 6

Once the flowers are dry, I place them on a piece of paper towel until I am ready to store them. Notice, when I pick flowers to press, I try to include leaves on the stems. The leaves add a nice touch to the artwork you create.

A look at drying Cosmos

Cosmos are delicate flowers and are beautiful in your artwork. Here are a few pictures of how to dry cosmos flowers.

Place the individual flowers with their petals facing down on top of the silk organza. Check each flower to ensure that the petals are laying flat. Cover with another piece of silk organza and the other layers. Notice that I leave a piece of stem on each flower. It’s best to start with a lower number of seconds for the first dry in the microwave (20 seconds). Then add 10 seconds in subsequent bursts until the cosmos flowers are dry.

The cosmos flowers are dry in the picture above. Notice how the stems are laying flat and do not touch another flower. If the petals stick to the silk organza, simply pull gently on the side of the silk organza.

I store my pressed flowers in these home made packets. Check out my blog post below titled ‘An easy practical way to store dried pressed flowers’ to view the video.

Good luck with your flower pressing. I hope you are able to create perfectly pressed flowers with a microwave flower press. Leave a comment with how it works out and if you have any questions.

Additional Gardening Information

You may want to check out the following post for more gardening ideas:

• DIY: Press flowers the old-fashioned way
• DIY resin coasters with dried pressed flowers
• An easy practical way to store dried pressed flowers