How to Press Summer Flowers for Cozy Cold-Weather Crafts
Summer blooms have a way of capturing a whole mood—carefree, a little wild, unapologetically beautiful. As summer stretches on and the flowers are in full swing, it’s a lovely time to snip a few and tuck them away for the months ahead.
Pressing flowers is one of our favorite summer past times. It’s slow, simple, and leaves you with the kind of beauty you can tuck into a book, frame on a wall, or turn into thoughtful gifts once the days turn cooler. The best part? You don’t need much to get started.
Pressing Flowers: A Simple Summer Pass Time
All you need:
Fresh flowers or leaves (picked in the morning after the dew dries)
Parchment paper or blotting paper
Heavy books or a flower press
To press:
Place flowers flat between two pieces of parchment or blotting paper.
Tuck them into the pages of a heavy book (or use a flower press if you have one).
Stack a few more books on top for extra weight.
Let them sit for 1–2 weeks.
Choose blooms with flatter faces like cosmos, pansies, wild rose, coreopsis, or herbs like mint and lavender. Maple and dog wood leaves press beautifully too.
Craft Projects to Brighten Cold Days
When the weather cools and your hands are craving a creative project, those pressed flowers become tiny pieces of preserved summer—ready to use in gifts, décor, and cozy crafts.
✿ Framed Pressed Flower Art
Mount your pressed flowers on linen or heavy watercolor paper, then frame them in glass. A simple wooden frame gives a farmhouse touch, while a brass or floating glass frame feels a little more vintage.
✿ Pressed Flower Bookmarks
Cut strips of thick paper or cardstock, arrange a few small flowers, then cover with clear contact paper or laminate. Punch a hole at the top and tie on a ribbon or twine. They make sweet little gifts for book lovers—or thoughtful party favors.
✿ Handcrafted Greeting Cards
Nothing beats a handwritten note on a card made by hand. Glue pressed flowers to blank kraft or card stock, add a favorite quote or verse, and you’ve created something personal and memorable.
✿ Candle Décor with a Floral Twist
Use a hairdryer and a little wax paper to gently melt pressed flowers onto the sides of pillar candles. They make lovely accents on a mantel, sideboard, or bathroom counter.
✿ Gift Wrap Accents
Glue a single bloom onto a kraft paper tag or tie it beneath twine on a wrapped gift. It’s a small touch that makes a gift feel extra special.
Keep a Bit of Summer Close
Pressed flowers remind us to pay attention—to the beauty right outside our door and to the simple things that can be saved and treasured. So while the days are still long and the garden is in full color, take a few moments to gather what you love. Come winter, when the skies are gray and the house is quieter, you’ll have just the thing to bring a little warmth and color back in.