Framing Pressed Flowers: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
TL;DR
Framing pressed flowers is a straightforward DIY project that anyone can do at home. You need fully dried flowers, an acid-free mat board, UV-protective glass, and a quality frame. The key steps: arrange your flowers on archival backing, secure them with acid-free glue or tape, add a mat and spacer to keep petals off the glass, and seal the frame to lock out moisture. The whole process takes about an hour once your flowers are pressed and dry. This guide walks you through every step, from pressing to hanging.
Pressed flower art turns a handful of garden blooms or a meaningful bouquet into wall-worthy decor that can last for decades. The process is simple enough for a first-timer, but a few material choices make the difference between a piece that stays vibrant for years and one that turns brown within months.
This guide covers everything: which flowers to pick, how to press them, what materials to buy, and exactly how to assemble a finished frame. No prior crafting experience needed.
If you’d rather skip the DIY route entirely and display professionally crafted floral art, Luxe Bloomia creates museum-quality preserved flower frames that ship ready to hang.
What You’ll Need
Gather these materials before you start. Having everything ready makes the assembly smooth and prevents you from handling delicate flowers more than necessary.
For pressing (if your flowers aren’t pressed yet):
- Fresh flowers (thin, flat varieties work best)
- A heavy book or wooden flower press
- Absorbent paper (parchment paper, blotting paper, or plain printer paper)
- Extra books or weights
For framing:
- A picture frame (matted frame recommended for beginners)
- Acid-free, lignin-free mat board
- UV-protective glass (also called conservation glass)
- Acid-free backing board
- Acid-free glue and a small paintbrush, or double-sided acid-free tape
- Flat-tipped tweezers
- Framer’s tape for sealing the back
Most of these materials are available at craft stores or online. Expect to spend $20 to $60 on a quality frame with proper glass, depending on size.
Step 1: Press Your Flowers
If you already have pressed flowers ready, skip ahead to Step 2.
Best Flowers for Pressing
Thin, flat flowers with low moisture content produce the best results every time. These varieties are consistently recommended across pressed flower communities:
- Great picks: Pansies, violets, cosmos, ferns, daisies, lavender stems, Queen Anne’s lace, buttercups
- Poor picks for pressing: Dahlias, peonies, full roses, orchids, succulents
Thick, bulbous flowers retain too much moisture and are prone to molding during the weeks-long drying process. Practitioners on Reddit report that thick flowers like dahlias keep molding during traditional pressing even with regular paper changes. For those varieties, silica gel drying is a better alternative, or you can explore professional preservation options that maintain a flower’s three-dimensional shape.
The Book Press Method
This is the oldest and easiest approach.
- Pick flowers in the morning after the dew has dried. Choose blooms that are freshly opened, not wilting.
- Place a sheet of absorbent paper inside a heavy book.
- Lay your flowers face-down on the paper, leaving space between each one so nothing overlaps.
- Cover with another sheet of paper.
- Close the book and stack 2 to 3 heavy books on top for added weight.
- Wait 1 to 3 weeks. Thin petals like pansies dry in about a week. Thicker blooms need closer to three weeks.
- Check carefully. Flowers are ready when they feel like thin tissue paper with absolutely no moisture remaining.
Using a wooden flower press works on the same principle but gives you more control. Layers of cardboard and blotting paper alternate with the flowers, and wing nuts let you increase pressure as the flowers shrink during drying.
Quick Methods (With Trade-offs)
Microwave pressing: Place flowers between parchment paper inside a microwave-safe press or between two ceramic tiles. Microwave in 30-second bursts until dry. Reduces pressing time from weeks to minutes, but colors won’t be as vibrant and delicate petals can scorch.
Iron pressing: Place flowers between parchment paper and press with a warm iron (no steam). Quick but hard to control. Uneven heat can scorch parts of the flower while leaving other sections still damp.
Both quick methods work fine for casual projects. For a piece you plan to frame and display long-term, the traditional book or press method produces better results.
Step 2: Choose Your Frame Type
The frame you pick affects how your piece looks, how long it lasts, and how easy it is to maintain. Here are your three main options.
Matted Frame (Best for Beginners)
A standard picture frame with a mat board creating a windowed border around the flowers. This is the most forgiving and reliable option for DIY framing pressed flowers.
Why it works well:
- The mat board creates a natural spacer that keeps flowers from touching the glass
- You can open the back to make adjustments later if needed
- If any part of a dried flower breaks off, the pieces fall between the mat layers instead of scattering visibly
- Widely available and affordable at any craft or framing store
If you’re framing pressed flowers for the first time, start here. You can always experiment with fancier options later.
Floating Frame (Double Glass)
Two panes of glass with pressed flowers sandwiched between them, creating a “suspended in space” look that’s all over Instagram and Pinterest.
It looks gorgeous, but be aware of the trade-offs before committing:
- It’s permanent. Once sealed, you cannot reopen it to adjust the arrangement or clean the inside. Practitioners on Reddit and preservation blogs consistently warn that the seal must be destroyed to access the interior, essentially ruining the piece.
- You need UV glass on both sides. Light hits from front and back, so you need UV protection on both panes. Many inexpensive floating frames only include one UV pane, cutting your protection in half. According to preservation specialists, the UV-treated surface must face inward toward the flowers on each side.
- Static electricity traps particles. Glass carries a static charge, and dried flowers shed tiny specks. Even with careful cleaning, some particles can end up trapped between the panes with no way to remove them.
Floating frames can look stunning when done right. Just go in knowing they’re less forgiving than matted frames.
Shadow Box Frame
A deep-set frame designed for three-dimensional dried flowers, not the flat specimens you get from pressing. Shadow boxes work well for flowers dried with silica gel or freeze-drying, where the bloom keeps its original shape. If your flowers are flat from pressing, you don’t need a shadow box. For more on the shadow box approach, see this guide to preserving flowers in a shadow box.
Step 3: Pick the Right Glass
Glass choice is the single biggest factor in how long your pressed flowers keep their color. This decision matters more than the frame, the arrangement, or the adhesive.
UV-Protective Glass (Conservation Glass)
This is the one upgrade worth every penny. Conservation glass blocks 99% of the UV rays that bleach delicate petals. Without it, vibrant reds and deep blues can fade noticeably within months. With it, those same colors stay vivid for years.
Museum glass adds anti-reflective properties on top of UV protection, reducing glare for a cleaner view. It costs more, but the visual improvement is real.
Standard Glass
The default glass in cheap frames. It’s clear and inexpensive, but it provides zero UV protection. Fine for a temporary display or a frame hung in a dark hallway. Not a good choice for anything you want to keep long-term.
Glass vs. Acrylic
Acrylic is lighter, shatter-resistant, and safer for shipping. But it scratches easily, and a single careless wipe with the wrong cloth can leave permanent marks. Glass resists scratches better and stays clear over time. For a frame that will hang undisturbed on a wall, glass is usually the better pick.
Step 4: Frame Your Pressed Flowers
Here’s the actual assembly process, step by step. Work on a clean, flat surface with good lighting.
4a. Prepare Your Materials
- Clean the glass thoroughly on both sides. Use a lint-free cloth. Any fingerprints or dust trapped inside will be visible forever once the frame is sealed.
- Cut your acid-free backing board to fit the frame if it isn’t pre-cut.
- Have your acid-free glue (with a small brush) or acid-free double-sided tape ready.
- Lay out your tweezers.
4b. Plan Your Arrangement
Before gluing anything, lay your pressed flowers on the backing board and experiment with different compositions. Move things around until you’re happy.
A few design tips:
- Leave breathing room. The most common beginner mistake is overcrowding. Give each flower space to stand out. Negative space makes the whole piece look more polished.
- Consider visual flow. People naturally scan left to right. If your arrangement tells a visual story or implies movement, let it flow in that direction.
- Mix textures. Combine flat petals with fern fronds, seed pods, or slender stems for visual variety.
- Take a photo of your layout before gluing so you have a reference.
4c. Secure the Flowers
Using flat-tipped tweezers (not your fingers, as skin oils can mark the petals), carefully pick up each flower and apply a tiny amount of acid-free glue to the back with your paintbrush. A little goes a long way. Too much glue introduces moisture that can cause problems later.
Press each flower gently onto the backing board in your planned position.
Alternatively, use small pieces of double-sided acid-free tape. This is sometimes easier for thin, delicate petals.
Important: Never use hot glue, regular craft glue, or standard tape. These will yellow over time, damage the petals, or introduce moisture that leads to mold.
4d. Let the Glue Dry
Give the arrangement at least 30 minutes to dry completely before continuing. Patience here prevents smudges and shifting during final assembly.
4e. Assemble the Frame
- Place the clean glass into the frame.
- If using a matted frame, position the mat board on top of the glass.
- Carefully lower your backing board (with flowers attached) into the frame, flower-side facing the glass.
- Add an acid-free backing panel behind it for extra protection.
- Secure the back of the frame with the clips or points provided.
- Seal the edges with framer’s tape to keep out dust, humidity, and insects. This step is especially important in humid climates.
4f. For Floating Frames
If you chose a floating frame, the process is slightly different:
- Clean both panes of glass.
- Lay your pressed flowers on one pane.
- Place the second pane on top.
- Secure the panes together with the frame’s edge clips.
- Seal the edges completely.
Remember: with a floating frame, this arrangement is permanent once sealed. Triple-check your layout before closing it up.
Step 5: Hang and Display
Where you hang your framed pressed flowers matters almost as much as how you frame them.
Best Placement
- A wall that gets indirect, soft light
- Climate-controlled rooms with consistent temperature (65 to 75°F)
- Relative humidity between 45% and 50%
Worst Placement
- Direct sunlight, even with UV glass. It’s still the single worst spot.
- Bathrooms, where steam and humidity are constant
- Kitchens, especially near the stove
- Above heating vents or fireplaces, where temperature swings cause condensation inside the frame
- Near exterior doors with frequent temperature changes
For more specific care guidance, Luxe Bloomia has a helpful care guide for preserved floral frames that applies to pressed flower pieces as well.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These are the problems that trip up most beginners. Avoiding them will save you time, frustration, and wasted flowers.
Using Acidic Materials
This is the number one cause of pressed flower projects going bad within a year. Standard cardboard, cheap mat board, and regular mounting paper are highly acidic. Over time, that acid migrates into the flowers, causing irreversible browning and brittleness. The term for this is “mount burn,” and once it starts, there’s no fixing it.
The rule is simple: if a product doesn’t explicitly say “acid-free,” assume it isn’t. Use acid-free, lignin-free mat board, acid-free backing, and acid-free adhesives. Lignin is the compound in wood pulp that causes paper to yellow (like old newspapers). You need materials free of both acid and lignin.
Framing Flowers That Aren’t Fully Dry
Flowers should feel like thin tissue paper. Zero moisture. If there’s any softness or flexibility remaining, they need more time pressing. Framing a flower that still contains moisture is the fastest way to grow mold inside a sealed frame.
Skipping UV-Protective Glass
Standard glass offers no UV protection at all. Your flowers will fade noticeably within months, especially reds and warm tones. Conservation glass is the one material upgrade that pays for itself many times over.
Overcrowding the Arrangement
More flowers doesn’t mean a better piece. Sparse, thoughtful arrangements where each bloom has room to breathe almost always look better than packed compositions.
Letting Flowers Touch the Glass
Direct contact between flowers and glass traps moisture, causes sticking, and can crush delicate petals. Always use a spacer or mat board to create a small gap.
How Long Will Framed Pressed Flowers Last?
With archival materials (acid-free everything, UV-protective glass, sealed frame), framed pressed flowers can last 50 years or more. That’s not an exaggeration. Herbarium specimens in museums date back to the 1600s and still hold their shapes, proving that pressed botanical material survives centuries under proper conditions.
Colors will shift gradually over time, regardless of how well you frame them. Reds fade faster than blues and purples. Greens tend to drift toward brown. White and yellow flowers hold their color longest. Some color shifting is natural and gives aged pieces a warm, vintage character. Proper framing with UV glass dramatically slows the process but doesn’t stop it entirely.
When to Consider Professional Framing
DIY framing works great for most projects, but there are situations where professional help makes sense:
- Wedding bouquet preservation: If you want to preserve your actual wedding bouquet, professional pressing services have the tools and experience to handle large, complex arrangements. Current turnaround times run about 6 to 12 months, so plan accordingly.
- High-value sentimental pieces: Memorial flowers or once-in-a-lifetime blooms might warrant professional archival framing to ensure maximum longevity.
- If you want something ready now: For those who love the look of floral art but don’t want to DIY, companies like Luxe Bloomia create hand-crafted preserved flower frames using real flowers in museum-style frames. Their pieces use glycerin-preserved flowers (which maintain their 3D shape rather than being pressed flat) and ship ready to display. It’s a different aesthetic from traditional pressed flowers, but worth considering if you’re drawn to floral wall art. For a deeper look at the process, see their preservation guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a regular picture frame for pressed flowers?
You can for a temporary display, but the flowers won’t last. Regular frames typically use acidic backing and standard glass with no UV protection. For anything you want to keep beyond a few months, invest in acid-free materials and conservation glass at minimum.
Should I choose a floating frame or a matted frame?
For beginners, go with a matted frame. It’s more forgiving, allows adjustments later, and offers better long-term protection. Floating frames look beautiful but are permanent once sealed, need UV glass on both panes, and can trap particles inside.
Why are my pressed flowers turning brown?
Most likely from acidic materials (mount burn) or too much light. If you used standard cardboard or non-archival mat board, acid is migrating into the flowers. If the frame sits in direct sunlight, UV damage is bleaching and darkening the pigments. Switch to acid-free materials and move the frame to indirect light.
How do I prevent mold in my framed pressed flowers?
Make sure flowers are bone dry before framing. Use a sealed frame. Display in a room with relative humidity between 45% and 50%. Avoid bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms where steam is common.
What glue should I use?
Acid-free glue applied sparingly with a small paintbrush, or small pieces of double-sided acid-free tape. Never use hot glue, regular craft glue, or standard tape. They yellow, damage petals, and can introduce moisture.
Is UV-protective glass really necessary?
Yes. It’s the single most important investment for preserving color. Without it, reds and blues fade within months. With it, colors stay vivid for years. If you’re putting in the effort to frame pressed flowers properly, this is the one upgrade you shouldn’t skip.
What’s the difference between pressed flower art and preserved floral art?
Pressed flower art uses flowers that have been flattened and dried, resulting in paper-thin specimens. Preserved floral art uses three-dimensional flowers treated with glycerin or similar solutions that maintain their natural shape, softness, and color. Pressed flowers are a great DIY project. Preserved floral art, like Luxe Bloomia’s collections, is typically done by professionals using specialized techniques. Both make beautiful wall decor, just with different aesthetics. You can learn more about the preserved approach in their explained guide.
How long does the whole process take?
Pressing takes 1 to 3 weeks (or minutes with microwave/iron methods). The actual framing assembly takes about an hour. So plan for 2 to 4 weeks total from fresh flowers to finished frame if you’re using the traditional pressing method.