Dry Your Keepsake Flowers Using ACTÍVA’s Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel

Summary:

Do you have a special arrangement or bouquet that you would like to preserve for many years to come? By using ACTÍVA® Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel you can relive this memorable occasion by drying your flowers. What a wonderful way to save your precious memories! So simple to use!

Step 1:

Cut the flower stems to about 1 ½” long. Original stems may be dried and re-attached with floral wire and tape after drying. To use the original stems, it would be best to cut a 4” wire and poke it into the stem of the flower and then loop it back up to wire the stem on later.

Step 2:

Pour the Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel into the container to a depth of 1 ½”. The flower should be able to stand face up in the Flower Drying Art. Make sure the flowers do not touch each other.

Step 3:

Build the Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel up around the base of the flower by gently sprinkling it around it, and then sift it on the top and sides of the flower. Tap the container to make sure Flower Drying Art sinks into all the petals of the flower.

Step 4:

Completely cover the flowers with the Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel. Then, there are two ways to preserve your flowers:

1. Conventional Drying Method
   Put the lid on the plastic container and let it sit 2 – 7 days in a dry place, depending on the type and thickness of flower. Read the enclosed instructions or download these instructions to see the timetable for each type of flower.
2. Microwave
   (The method I use) Proceed to Step 5.

Step 5:

Place the uncovered container in the microwave with a cup full of water in a microwavable cup.

Step 6:

I heated mine on medium power in one-minute increments according to the drying sheet enclosed in your box of Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel, or available for download here. I microwaved my flowers for 3 1/2 minutes, checking often for dryness. The Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel will be very hot, so allow this to cool to room temperature. This may take several hours.

Step 7:

I arranged my dried flowers in a crystal wide-mouth container. You could either pour colored sand in the bottom of the container for height or use cotton balls to elevate the flowers. I sprayed my arrangement with hairspray to preserve them even further.

Tip:

To reactivate the Flower Drying Art™ Silica Gel, place in a shallow pan in an oven heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for no less than 5 hours. The pink and white crystals will return to a blue hint when it is ready to be used again. What a fun way to preserve your memories!!