Flowers look stunning, smell delicious, and carry deep beautiful meanings. Flowers are indeed magical! But like virtually anything in life, these wondrous creatures cannot stand the trial of time and eventually begin to droop. If you are not able to bring yourself to throwing an old arrangement into the trash bin, there are several nifty ways to repurpose the wilting blooms to retain the magic of a bouquet for a while, even after the flowers have miffed off. May these simple dried flower crafts inspire your creativity!
Potpourri
Potpourri is a mixture of dried, aromatic flowers and plants used to spread a gentle scent over the area. Petals of roses, lavenders, and peonies are the best match for such a project, but you are free to use any dried flowers. When placed in an elegant bowl or vase, potpourri makes a lovely interior accent, along with feeling the space with a pleasant natural odor.
Candles
There is something hypnotic about candles. Not only do they bring light to the dark, but also enhance the aesthetics of the room. You can make a special twist on the interior, too, leveraging the mystery of candles and the natural beauty of flowers. Just add dried petals to hot wax and pour the mixture into a mold. For extra fun, you can add any fragrance oil to make the candle emit a wondrous smell while looking absolutely adorable with repurposed petals.
Bath Perfumery
What about having a spa-like experience right in your bathroom with a bath bomb or bath salt? These products are very easy to craft at home, while the internet is brimming with various recipes. Having only a few ingredients and a couple of minutes, you can soon be soaking in a relaxing floral bath.
A cheap and cheerful recipe for creating DIY bath salt looks like the following:
- Take one cup of Epsom salt, one cup of sea salt, and half a cup of baking soda and mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Add fresh or dried buds or petals to the mixture. Rose and lavender remnants work especially well thanks to their strong natural aroma. If you are using scentless flowers, you can add essential oils of your choice to the salt. Combine everything and enjoy!
Floral Carpet Powder
When the time of your fresh bouquet has come, you can turn decrepit flowers into useful carpet powder. The ingredients you will need include ¼ cup dried petals and ½ cup baking soda (can be replaced with cornstarch). Simply combine the crushed dried flowers with baking soda in a bowl and mix well. Alternatively, you can put the mixture in a shaker and give the powder a good shake.
Now you can sprinkle the powder over the carpet or rag. Do not overdo it – a thin layer will be enough. Leave the mixture on for nearly an hour. The entire magic will happen during this period. Soda will remove any odors, oils, and dirt from the surface, while flowers will distribute their great smell over the carpet. Now you only need properly to vacuum up the carpet and enjoy its revived freshness.
Wardrobe Freshener
Whether you have received an astonishing bouquet from a global flower delivery service or been presented with a stylish arrangement at work, blooms are fiendishly hard to say goodbye to.
Luckily, there is a nifty trick to grant dead blooms a second chance by crafting cloth fresheners. Just dry the petals naturally or in a microwave oven, put them in small mesh bags, and insert them into your chest of drawers or clothing cabinets.
Now your garments will smell fresh and floral, while you will have a lovely reminder of your used-to-be bouquet.
To dry flowers naturally, you can hang them upside down for a few days in a low humidity room or near the radiator.
Insect Repellents
Along with being delightful and fragrant, many flowers have the ability to keep invasive insects at bay. Marigolds, chrysanthemums, lavenders, alliums, bee balms – all these cuties can cause a serious headache to mosquitoes and flies, preventing them from invading your home. You can implement this power of flowers to your benefit by creating floral bug spray. The recipe is surprisingly simple. Take a handful of faded flowers and add a cup of water. Steep the tea for 10 minutes, then pour it into a spray bottle, and you are good to go.
Whether it is global rose delivery, a gallant gesture of recognition from your office team, or a token of attention from your soul-mate, being gifted with fresh flowers is always an amazing experience. But like all living beings, fresh blooms are perishable. When your arrangement loses its freshness and allure, you can still keep it around for years by reusing dead flowers.
