Preserve your Mother’s Day bouquet by turning your favorite blossoms into pressed, dried flowers with just a few supplies and (surprise!) your microwave. Make the preserved flowers even more special by using them to create memorable crafts. Some of our favorites: Place a delicate bloom inside a locket, frame flowers and leaves to put on display, or laminate a tiny bouquet on paper to create your own bookmark.

Supplies:

• Bouquet of flowers (Small flowers with a single layer of petals work best)
• Sheets of copy paper
• Paper towels
• One brick or tile

Instructions:

1. Trim flowers off of their stems, keeping scissors as close to the base of the bud as possible.
2. Fold a piece of regular copy paper in half, unfold and place the flowers inside. Then, fold the paper back over to cover.
3. Sandwich the folded paper between two paper towels and place it in the microwave.
4. Place a brick or tile on top and heat for one minute to one minute and 30 seconds, depending on your microwave.
5. Carefully remove the brick or tile with a hot pad before slowly pulling back your paper to reveal your dried, pressed flowers.