Creating A Wedding Bouquet Shadow Box: Preserving Your Special Day

There are many ways to preserve your wedding bouquet and one of the most popular methods is to use a shadow box. This is a fairly easy process and a wonderful way to preserve and display your wedding bouquet. First, you need to pick and buy your flowers. Then, you need to prepare your flowers by drying them. You can either use silica gel, which helps the flowers retain their colour, or simply dry them out in your closet on a shelf. Next, place the flowers in the shadow box, using a hot glue gun to secure them in place. Finally, close the shadow box and it's ready for display.

Choosing and buying the flowers

After choosing your flowers, you'll need to prepare them by drying them. There are two popular methods for this: using silica gel or simply air-drying them in a closet on a shelf. If you opt for silica gel, cut the stems and leaves from the flowers, leaving about a centimetre of stem at the bottom. Ensure you have a large enough container that fits all the flowers without them touching each other. Pour the silica gel over the flowers, ensuring each one is covered, and let them sit overnight with a lid and a small air vent. The next day, shake off the excess silica gel, and your flowers will be ready for the shadow box.

If you choose to air-dry your flowers, simply tie the bouquet together with string and hang it upside down carefully. You can either hammer a small nail into a wall or tie the string around a high object. Leave your flowers to dry against a wall, and they will be ready for the next step.

Once your flowers are prepared, you can move on to the process of arranging and securing them in the shadow box, which will be covered in the following paragraphs.

Drying the flowers

Selecting the Right Flowers:

Choose flowers that are sturdy and have thick, less brittle blossoms. Examples include roses, lavender, and baby's breath. These flowers retain their shape and colour better during the drying process.

Flower Preparation:

Pick your flowers after the morning dew has evaporated to ensure they are dry. Remove any unwanted leaves and, if air drying, bundle the stems together.

Drying Methods:

There are several methods to choose from, each with its pros and cons:

• Air drying: This is the easiest and most cost-effective method. Hang your flowers upside down in a well-ventilated, dark, and dry room for several weeks.
• Pressing: Similar to air drying but with the added benefit of displaying your flowers while keeping them safe.
• Desiccants: Silica gel or sand can be used to absorb moisture and dry flowers quickly while maintaining vibrant colours. This method may require additional tools like an airtight container.

Drying Time:

Depending on the chosen method, drying can take a few days to a few weeks. For example, roses take about two weeks to air dry, while thicker flowers like peonies can take three to four weeks.

Storage and Care:

Once dried, store your flowers in a dark, cool place until you are ready to display them. Avoid direct sunlight, as it can cause colours to fade, and handle them with care to prevent breakage.

Daily Monitoring:

Check on your flowers regularly, especially when using silica gel to ensure it hasn't become moist, and when air drying to prevent dampness or mould.

Tips for Success:

• Pick the right time to harvest: Early morning, after the dew has dried but before the midday sun, is ideal to retain vibrant colours.
• React quickly to mould: Inspect daily and remove any affected areas with a brush or toothpick if mould is detected.
• Use desiccants for fragile petals: Delicate flowers like roses or lilies often dry better with desiccants than air drying.
• Avoid direct sunlight during drying: Place flowers in a cool, dark area to preserve their colour.
• Spray hairspray for added protection: Once fully dried, use unscented hairspray on sturdy flowers like roses to help retain their shape.

Covering the flowers with silica gel

Preserving your wedding bouquet using silica gel is a great way to keep your flowers looking vibrant and full of life. Here is a step-by-step guide to achieving the best results:

Firstly, you will need to deconstruct your bouquet. This may seem daunting, but it is an important step in the preservation process. Take a picture of the arrangement so that you can recreate the look later. Cut the stems of each bloom, leaving only an inch or two intact.

Next, prepare your airtight plastic container by filling the bottom with silica crystals or silica gel powder. Gently place your flowers into the container, ensuring they are inserted vertically with the blooms pointing upward. It is important to leave a little room between each flower so they do not overlap. Once your flowers are in place, slowly pour more silica gel over the petals, being careful to fill the area between each petal while retaining the flower's shape. Completely cover the flowers and seal the container.

The next step is to choose your drying method. You can either use the microwave method or the overnight method. For the microwave method, place the container in the microwave with a glass of water. Heat in increments of 45 seconds, being careful not to overheat. Use a spoon to gently remove the flowers. This method is faster but has a smaller margin of error, and flowers can become yellowed and brittle if overheated.

The overnight method is a more foolproof technique. Simply place your container in a cool, dry place for 2-3 days. After this time, gently remove each flower from the silica gel using a spoon.

Once your flowers are dried, use a fine paintbrush to remove any remaining powder crystals from the blooms. This step is important to prevent further drying of your flowers.

Now, carefully recreate the look of your original bouquet by arranging the flowers in your chosen shadow box. Secure the flowers in place with hot glue, adding any extra details like ribbon or pins used in the original bouquet.

Finally, add any extra loose petals or greenery to complete the look, then close up your shadow box and find the perfect spot to display it!

Placing the flowers in the shadow box

Now that you have chosen and bought your flowers, you will need to prepare them by drying them out. There are two popular methods for drying flowers: using silica gel or air-drying them in a closet. If you want to maintain the radiant colour of your flowers, opt for silica gel. Start by cutting the stems and leaves, leaving about a centimetre of stem at the bottom of the flower. Ensure that your bowl is large enough so that no flower touches another. Place your flowers in the bowl with the stems facing down.

Pour silica gel over the flowers, ensuring each one is covered. Leave the flowers overnight with a lid on the bowl and a small, quarter-inch opening to enable air circulation.

Take the flowers out of the bowl and shake off any excess silica gel. Cover the silica gel in an airtight container for future use.

Now, you are ready to place the flowers in your shadow box. If you want to add decorative paper as a background, do so now. Using a hot glue gun, place the flowers in the shadow box. You can fill the entire box or create a shape with the flowers. Once you are happy with the arrangement, glue the bottom of each flower to the back of the shadow box. Place the glass back in the frame, and your display is ready!

Adding a background and securing the flowers

Before placing your flowers in the shadow box, you may want to add a decorative background. This could be a piece of decorative paper, or you could paint the back of the shadow box a contrasting colour like navy or burgundy. You could also cricut (vinyl-cut) your wedding date onto the glass.

Once you are happy with the background, you can start placing your flowers inside the box. If you are using a hot glue gun, line up the flowers first and then carefully glue the bottom of each flower to the back of the shadow box. If you are using pins, simply push the pins through the flowers and into the backing material.

Frequently asked questions