air drying flowers?

Question

I have air dried roses plenty of times by hanging them upside down in a dark place but everytime I try it with carnations they shrivel up beyond recognition!! I coated my most recent flower well in aerosol hairspray before trying it, should that help?

Answer 1

You might not want to hang your carnations isnce they have very brittle petals and would jus shrivel (as you found out already). You can also use Borax or sand as described in the 1st link. I pasted the info below:

Flowers that cannot be dried upside-down can be preserved by
burial in sand or borax. Although clean, sharp, shore sand
is best, sand used by building contractors is nearly as
good. If using Borax, it must be noted that Borax MAY leave
a slight film that is difficult to remove from the
delicate-textured flowers. If Borax is indeed used, make
sure it is not lumpy--sifting may be necessary.

Sand must be clean and dry, as damp sand will spot and spoil
the flowers. It is recommended to use an ordinary cardboard
carton large enough to hold several flowers. Put several
thicknesses of newspaper in the bottom will provide
additional strength. Pour in the sand to a depth of about
four inches. Flowers should be stripped of all foliage and
stems cut to the desired length. Short stems can be
lengthened later with wire. The flowers should stand
upside down, their heads placed so they do not touch each
other, then pour sand gently over them. When the large
flowers are partially covered, the spaces in between can be
used for smaller flowers. Continue to pour on sand until
the flowers are buried, however, it is not necessary to
completely cover the stems, as most stems dry fairly easily
in air. Be sure there is sand between each petal and in the
trumpets of flowers like the daffodil and lily. If the
flower is spike-shaped (like the coral-bells or
bleeding-heart) or pyramidal (like the lilac), lay them
lengthwise in the box and cover them gently with sand. When
the flowers are thoroughly dried, brush off the sand with a
soft brush or tissue, and pack them in boxes. Each box
should be labeled with the flower names it contains and
store them in a cool dark place for at least two weeks. If
borax is used, be sure it is not lumpy--it may be necessary
to sift it.

Flowers that dry well in sand or borax are:

Asters Cornflower Loosestrife
Balloon-Flower Cosmos Liatris
Balsam Daffodils Lupine
Bleeding-Heart Dahlias Painted Daisy
Butterfly Bush Delphinium Pansies
Candytuft Dandelion Peony
Canterbury Bells Day-Lily Rose
Carnations (Pinks) Geranium Shasta Daisy
Chrysanthemum Gladiolus Stock
Coleus Leaves Gloriosa Daisy Snapdragons
Columbine Iris Tulip
Coneflower Lilac Zinnias
Coral-Bells Lily
Coreopsis Lily-of-the-Valley

Answer 2

Maybe that'll help but the moisture might not be able to get out of the coat of spray. The flower might just rot. You should try pressing the carnations in a book.

Answer 3

Your best method to use is a floral preservative. It dries all the moisture in the flowers, yet retains the flower's color and shape (with some fading and shrinkage). The product is called Silica Gel, and is available in most craft stores, and is usable over and over.