What you need to make this project:
• 12 dried sweetheart roses
• one bunch of dried Seeded Eucalyptus
• an 6" grapevine wreath
• scissors
• glue gun and glue sticks
How to dry your Sweetheart Roses:
One way to give Valentine's Day roses a second life is to dry them.
It really easy to do. Gather your roses into a bunch and secure then together with a rubber band. (The stems shrink a little as they dry and rubber bands adjust nicely to the changing size of your rose stems.)
Use a loop of the elastic band to hang your roses with the flower facing downward to dry.
If you are drying more than one bunch of roses, allow space between them so the air can circulate.
Depending on humidity levels, a bunch of roses may take a week or two to dry. Dried correctly, the stems of the roses will be stiff and hard. The roses should be somewhat crisp to the touch.
How to dry the Seeded Eucalyptus:
Seeded Eucalyptus is fairly easy to find. I found this bunch at the grocery store, but it is also commonly available at most florists.
I fastened the stems of my Eucalyptus together with an elastic band and hung them to dry. They are quite dry to begin with, so they should be ready to use within a week or so.
(If you can't find Eucalyptus ask your florist to recommend some other greenery that might be dried. You could also use silk greenery from the craft store in a pinch.)
How to make the Rose Wreath:
Begin by breaking your bunch of dried Eucalyptus into stems that are six to eight inches long.
Take your grapevine wreath and insert a branch of Eucalyptus into the wreath and allow it to catch in the tangle of grapevines.
Working in a single direction continue inserting branches until you have made your way around the full circumference of the wreath.
Use your scissors to cut the stems of each of your roses 1/2" below the head of each flower.
As a final step, I went back and turned the wreath on its side and added a few more Eucalyptus branches to fill out the greenery just a bit more.
And here is the final project.
I think a wreath like this is a pretty way to prolong the romance of Valentine's Day roses!
How long should I leave the roses and eucalyptus branches air dry..
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the humidity level in your house. The branches dry pretty quickly in my experience–about a week or so. The roses are pretty dry after a week, but it would be better to leave them to dry for a couple of weeks. You'll know they're dry when the rose stems are stiff and the rose petals are dry and papery.
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