How to Preserve Roses for Decoration and Crafts

What is lovelier than a rose in bloom? The varieties and shades available today are almost endless. But you can enjoy the beauty of the rose in your home long after your last rose has finished blooming outdoors.

There are many creative ways to use roses within your home décor, but first you must know how to preserve them. There are a few different ways you can treat your roses to make them last.

To keep a rose bouquet looking good for up to a month, you should address the matter of its preservation as soon as you receive it. First, sprinkle the flowers with a little water so that the petals and foliage don't begin to dry. Remove the lower leaves that would appear below the water line. Do this tenderly, being careful not to make cuts in the stem. Cuts in the stem can obstruct delivery of the water to the flowers themselves.

To prepare your rose vase, fill it with enough water. Put a little dishwashing soap, just two or three drops, in the water. Stir the soap a bit to make the water a little bit sudsy. Remember to use the soap sparingly!

Before placing the roses into the vase, run some water and cut the flowers diagonally, about an inch from the bottom. Put the roses immediately into the prepared vase.

Every morning, put your rose bouquet into another vase or jar of clean water for a couple of minutes. Then sprinkle the foliage and flowers with more clean water to keep them moist. Place the bouquet back into the soapy water. The soapy water should be replaced every few days, rinsing the flowers each time before putting them back in the soapy vase. This method can keep the bouquet looking fresh for as long as a month, occasionally a little longer. You can purchase professional preservatives at the florist, but I have found the traditional soapy-water method my mother uses to be even more effective.

Some beautiful rose crafts and décor can be made by dipping your rose in hot paraffin. The effect can be breathtakingly beautiful, creating a somewhat Victorian-era appearance. However, keep in mind such preservation can last no longer than a couple of weeks. You may want to reserve this method for decorating for a special celebration.

A popular method of preserving roses involves drying in a technique called "moisture transfer." Some popular drying mediums used are silica, borax, sand or cornmeal. Crafts stores can provide the materials, including a container you that allows for sealing. Prepare the container with about an inch or so of your drying agent in the bottom. Then prepare the roses by cutting away most of the rose stem, allowing about an inch or a little more of stem below the calyx. Place the roses in the drying agent upright, making sure to arrange the petals the way you want them to appear when dried. Then sprinkle a little drying agent on and between the petals, carefully so you don't miss any of them. Seal up the container for a few days, for small roses about three days, for large ones about five. If you open the container to check them, remember to place more drying agent on the petals before recovering.

You may also air-dry roses, by removing the lower leaves, binding the stems with wire (a trash twisty or paper clip will work), and putting them in a dark space such as a closet. Keep the flowers separate so their shape and color are better preserved. Hang them upside down with one end of your wire fastened to a hanger for a week to 10 days. Some benefits of using this method include being able to preserve some of the rose aroma, and the ability of keeping the stems if you want those in your arrangement or craft.

Roses can also be freeze-dried using a cold vacuum chamber. This is known as the method that allows the preserved roses to last the longest. It's usually done by florists because it requires special equipment, which can be expensive. If you do decide to invest in a freeze drying machine, the process itself is simple. First, diagonally cut the roses and place them in water for 12 hours. Then to prepare for drying, strip the leaves, fluff any petals that aren't fully open, and place the roses on the shelves of the machine at the setting suggested by the machine's manufacturer. Normally you'll be freeze drying to -5 degrees F. The drying will take from 24 hours to three days. You'll know that the roses are "done" when they are no longer cold to the touch -- this indicates the moisture has been removed.

Now you have preserved roses you can use in wreaths, bouquets, paperweights, for framing or in a myriad other crafts that only your imagination can limit!