Dry Flowers in the Microwave with Silica Gel

Did you know you can dry flowers in your microwave oven? You don’t have to wait days or weeks for fresh flowers to dry. With the help of silica gel you can instantly dry many different types of fresh flowers and forever preserve their beauty. After drying a few flowers in your microwave oven you’ll want to dry entire bouquets. Flowers dried in the microwave save a considerable amount of time and money, and drying flowers in the microwave is a hobby that’s fun, rewarding, and very addicting.

If you’d like to keep your flowers well beyond the warm months of summer, consider drying them in your microwave oven. The following instructions explain how to dry flowers in a microwave oven using silica gel.

What is Silica Gel, and Where Can I Buy it?

Have you ever noticed those little packets inside shoe boxes and coat pockets, and the little packets are labeled with the warning “Do Not Eat?” It’s comical to think that someone old enough to know how to read would consider eating the contents, and a child too young to read obviously cannot heed the warning. The content of those little mystery packets is silica gel. Silica gel isn’t gel at all. It’s a granular substance that absorbs moisture. Silica gel is actually the most absorbent product available, and amazingly it can absorb up to 40% of its weight.

You don’t have to save those little packets of silica gel in order to dry your flowers in the microwave oven. You can buy silica gel in most craft stores, and some discount stores that have a craft department sell silica gel. Alternately you can look online in order to obtain the lowest price on silica gel.

What Types of Flowers are Best for Microwave Drying?

Flowers with slender centers, and those that aren’t completely open are the best candidates for microwave drying. Choose fresh flowers such as daffodils, pansies, roses, violets, violas, zinnias, small sunflowers, and carnations. These aren’t the only varieties you can dry in the microwave, but they are some of the best choices.