Preserving flowers in a shadow box-It’s no secret that a lot of brides like to keep their wedding bouquets. Who wouldn’t want to keep those lovely wedding flowers forever? make the perfect frame for your wedding bouquet and let you show it off in all its glory.
In this guide, we’ll tell you what we know about preserving flowers, show you how wedding bouquets are traditionally dried, show you how to make a beautiful shadow box frame for your flowers, and give you some ideas for wedding bouquet shadow boxes. Let’s jump right into the first step! Shadow Box Frames
Will a shadow box keep your wedding flowers in good shape?
A shadow box is a frame that is three-dimensional and is usually used to show off keepsakes like a bouquet. A wedding bouquet is a pretty reminder of a special day, but the flowers will eventually die. Before being put in the shadow box, the flowers must be dried. This helps them last longer. Most people use air drying, which can take up to a few weeks.
But sometimes this method makes the flowers lose their shape and color. Another option is to use silica gel, which can speed up the process because it absorbs water. Once the flowers are dry, you can use special glue or tape to stick them to the shadow box. Putting a wedding bouquet in a shadow box will make it last much longer and remind you of the special day for a long time.
Preserving Flowers in a Shadow Box
There are a lot of ways to keep your flowers alive, some of which are easier than others. Before we start taking apart your bouquet, make sure you measure it so you know what size frame you’ll need. We’ll show you the easiest and least expensive way to keep your flowers fresh at home.
Finding a dark, dry place with good air flow, like an unused closet, is the traditional way to dry flowers. Secure the flowers with unflavored dental floss at the bottom of the stems. Then, hang the flowers upside down in a cool, dry place to dry. We suggest that you don’t dry the whole bouquet at once. Instead, you should separate the flowers to allow for good airflow and find a place out of direct sunlight to help the fresh flowers keep their color.
You can speed up the process by putting your flowers in a cool, well-ventilated place. Leave your flowers hanging for a few weeks (how long will depend on the type of flower or plant) until the petals feel like paper and they are completely dry. This method works best for thick-stemmed flowers like roses.
You can use silica gel to save flowers with thin stems. Fine crystals like these are often found in small packets inside new handbags to keep them from getting stale. If you want to use this method to keep flowers fresh, make sure you put them in the silica as soon as possible after your wedding.
Magenta Flowers sells silica gel flower preservation tubs that come with enough silica gel to dry a bridal bouquet and an airtight container to keep the flowers in. Just cut off the stems and leaves, put the fresh flowers in the tub and cover them completely with the crystals. The silica gel will do its job and make sure the container is full.
In about a week, you’ll have beautiful dried flowers that will last forever. This is the best way to dry your wedding flowers if you want them to keep their original color and shape. You can buy a Flower Drying Kit from us. It comes with enough silica gel to keep your flowers fresh.
Flowers that have been pressed are a beautiful and unique way to remember your favorite blooms. For this method, you put the flowers between layers of absorbent paper and then put a heavy book on top of them. You can use pressed flowers to decorate cards, scrapbooks, and picture frames. They also make beautiful presents.
Start by choosing flowers for your wedding that are flat and not too thick. Put the flower heads on a layer of absorbent paper, which you can find at a local craft store, and spread them out so that no petals are curling or touching. Add another sheet of paper and a heavy book on top of that.
If you don’t think the weight is enough, you can add more books to make sure the flowers get pressed. Once the flowers have dried, you can use them to make one-of-a-kind art to remember your big day.
What sizes are there for shadow box frames?
Shadow box frames come in many different sizes and shapes, which can make it hard to choose the right one for your wedding bouquet. Don’t worry, though, because we’re here to help!
There are three main things you need to think about when looking for the right shadow box: size, depth, and style.
Style: When choosing a frame, you should first think about how you’ll arrange your bouquet once the wedding flowers have died. We’ll show you how to set up a shadow box in different ways further down.
Size: Next, you’ll need to measure your wedding bouquet to get a rough idea of its width and length. You’ll need a deep shadow box to fit the flower. You’ll want to make sure that your shadow box frame is big enough to hold your whole bouquet with some extra space on the sides. Even if you didn’t do this before you started preserving your wedding flowers, it’s okay. Once the flowers are dry, you can still measure them.
Depth: The next thing you need to think about is how deep the frame is. This is important because you want your flowers to have enough space so they don’t look squished. The best way to go is always with a deep shadow box.
How to Put a Wedding Bouquet in a Shadow Box
Take the glass out of your shadow box frame and make sure your oasis (floral foam) fits inside. You’ll also need to make sure there’s enough room for your flowers.
You can start preparing your flowers now that you know the floral foam is the right size. To get them ready, you’ll need to wrap the garden wire around each flower and use hot glue to keep them in place.
Once you’ve wrapped all the flowers and leaves you want with garden wire, you can start making a flower arrangement by putting the wired stems in the oasis. As you work, you can check to see if the blooms will still fit in the shadow box.
Now that you’re happy with how your shadow box looks, you can glue the floral foam to the back of the frame. Put hot glue on the back of the oasis and stick it to the back panel of the shadow box. You’ll need to work quickly so that the glue doesn’t dry before you’ve secured the arrangement.
Put the glass back in your wedding bouquet shadow box, and you’re done! Your wedding flowers are beautifully arranged and ready to hang on the wall as a reminder of your special day.
There are, of course, a lot of ways to make a shadow box keepsake, and you don’t have to just put your wedding flowers in it. Before deciding on a design, it’s a good idea to look around for ideas. Customers have put a photo or several photos in their wedding shadow boxes.
You can even put other things in the frame, like a spare wedding invitation, notes from guests, or a copy of the flower that was in the buttonhole. The most important thing is that this piece of art reminds you of your special day.
Styles of Bouquet Frames for Wedding
Now that you know how to make your own, it’s time to look at some other styles to get ideas. Check out Roses in a Shadow Box.
The first style is a traditional way to show off your bouquet. This is a good choice for brides who hung photos or personalized charms from their bouquet ribbons. As you can see:
The second style is a modern take on the Wedding Frames. It’s great for couples who want to show off their bouquet from a bird’s-eye view. letting you put your flowers in the frame as shown below:
The third style is best for couples who want to include more than just the bridal bouquet. We’ve seen a lot of brides put the buttonhole of the groom next to their bouquet in the Wedding Bouquet Shadow Box, like this: Framing Dried Flowers in Shadow Box.
Freestyling is the last style! We know you’re crafty and creative enough to come up with your own design for your wedding bouquet shadow box.