After many years of nurturing my flower gardens, I have been on the hunt for new ways to preserve the blooms and create something more long lasting. I found six ways to dry flowers (click here for the post) and those methods opened the doors to so many projects. Today, I will share with you a very easy project, but one that can go in a variety of places and always look charming. It is a dried flower garland.
This garland is a simple and beautiful way to bring your garden into your everyday spaces. Draped gently across a mantel or window, or hanging on a wall, it adds a soft, romantic touch while celebrating the natural beauty of your flower garden.
Flowers That Work Best for a Dried Flower Garland
Many flowers will work perfectly for a dried flower garland including:
- Roses
- Lavender
- Celosia
- Hydrangea
- Yarrow
- Baby’s breath
- Statice
- Strawflowers
- Gomphrena
- Zinnias
For this particular garland, I used dried roses from bouquets I had received as gifts, together with lavender and zinnias from my garden.
How to Dry Flowers (Brief Overview)
For full details of how to dry flowers, please click here. For this garland, I used two methods of drying:
- Air drying; and
- Silica gel.
Air drying is a very easy way to dry flowers. First remove any excess greenery along with soiled leaves, petals or stems. Bundle together approximately 3 flowers with stems attached. Wrap an elastic around the ends of the stems and then hang upside down in a dry, dark place away from sunlight as that will fade the color of the flowers. I used this method for the roses and the lavender.
For the zinnias because they have so many petals, I used silica gel. First, trim the stems to a length that they can fit in your containers. Then place a layer of silica gel in the base of a plastic or glass container that has an air tight lid. Next, place the zinnia on top of the silica. Then slowly, pour silica around the zinnia and then gently up and over top while trying to get silica in between the petals. Place the air tight lid on top and store away for approximately 2 weeks.
Here is how my zinnias turned out after drying in the silica.
Supplies You’ll Need
- Twine;
- Scissors or garden snips;
- Dried flowers;
- Ribbon in colors that will look good with your flowers (organza, satin, etc.);
- Hot glue and a glue gun; and
- Hooks, nails or command hooks for hanging.
How to Make a Dried Flower Garland
Step 1 – making small bouquets
First, create small bouquets of flowers and tie them together with a pretty ribbon in a bow. This worked well with a small bundle of lavender and bundles of the roses with a few pieces of lavender. Because the zinnias are so big all on their own, I kept them as one single flower and tied a wider organza ribbon to the stem.
Here are some tips for a cohesive look:
- Stick to a soft color palette (pinks, creams, greens)
- Alternate flower types for interest
- Keep bundles light and airy (not too bulky)
- Let imperfection add charm
Step 2 – prepping the base of the garland
Next measure the length of the area you want your garland to stretch across such as the length of the window or mantel you are decorating. Add one foot to that measurement. Leaving a tail of 4 inches on either end, tie a loose knot in the the twine. These knots will be how you secure the garland to window or mantel supports. Then take a few pieces of the ribbon that you used to tie the flower bundles with and tie them around the knots. This is just going to add a little finishing touch to the ends of the garland.
step 3 – adding the bouquets
I found it easiest to work on the garland with it hanging in place so I screwed in two screws at either end of the window. You could also use command hooks if you don’t want to damage wood or drywall. Then place the twine on the hooks. There should be a slight droop in the twine but not too much.
Starting in the middle, pick your favorite dried flower bundle and attach to the twine. I hot glued my bundles onto the twine but you could also tie them. Just make sure that they won’t slip or they will all end up in the middle.
Then glue or tie another bundle 6 inches to the right of the original bundle and then another bundle 6 inches to the left. Continue adding more bundles 6 inches apart until you reach the ends of the twine.
As you will see there is repetition with the flowers and the ribbons. My first flower was a zinnia, and I put bouquets of lavender on either side of the zinnia. Then I attached zinnias after the lavender, and kept working outwards by adding the same bouquet each time but on opposite sides.
Here is the finished garland. Simple, but pretty and such a great way to display dried flowers.
But we are not done yet.
Styling The Area Around Your Dried Flower Garland
A dried flower garland has a romantic, cottage feel, so naturally, I styled the area with similar design elements such as:
- a vintage wicker bench;
- a floral patchwork quilt in pink, green and cream;
- vintage style pillows in white, pink and cream;
- an old ladder with a basket holding faux pink and cream flowers;
- an old birdhouse on a crate;
- an upcycled dresser styled with vintage books and faux flowers;
- a basket of dried zinnias; and
- candles with dried flowers in them.
Here are a few pictures of the area. For the full tour of the greenhouse decorated for spring, please click here.
How to Care for Your Garland
This garland can last for a few years with proper care. It is very important to:
- Keep out of direct moisture;
- Avoid too much handling (they are delicate);
- When not in use, store in a secure box so that they do not get crushed; and
- Expect natural fading over time (part of the beauty) but for best color preservation keep out of direct sunlight.
The Sentimental Beauty of Dried Flowers
Dried flower garlands can be very sentimental because they are a reminder of all the beauty that grew in your garden and how you cared daily for your precious garden. It can serve as a reminder that while the fresh blooms longevity is short in nature, you have found a way to make them last much longer inside your home.
Perhaps the flowers were from a rose bush or plant that you inherited or were given to you by a family member or a friend. Imagine that person’s delight to see that you are not only enjoying the flower they gave you for the garden, but also preserving it inside your home in a unique and creative way.
If you used flowers from bouquets that were gifted to you, they can bring back memories of those happy occasions and the people who gave them to you.
In closing…
A dried flower garland is more than just a decoration, it’s a way to hold onto the beauty of moments that might otherwise fade. Each bundle tells a small story, whether it came from your garden or a bouquet given with love.
As it hangs gently in your space, it brings warmth, softness, and a quiet kind of joy.
Simple to make and endlessly charming, it’s a reminder that even the most delicate things can be preserved and appreciated in a whole new way.
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Thank you
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