You’ve preserved your beautiful roses using the techniques from our previous post, and now you’re left with these delicate, dried petals full of memories and natural beauty. But what’s next? Whether you’re looking to keep your wedding bouquet, commemorate a special occasion, or simply make the most of a thoughtful gift, there are countless creative ways to give those preserved blooms a second life.
In this post, What to Do with Dried Roses: 20 Easy Crafts for Preserved Blooms we’ll explore easy and elegant DIY projects that add a personal touch to your home decor while keeping those precious memories close. From crafting a romantic rose wreath to creating aromatic potpourri, we’ll guide you through various ways to transform your dried rose petals into lasting keepsakes.
Ready to turn those preserved blooms into beautiful, meaningful creations? Let’s dive in!
Content may contain affiliate links. When you shop the links, we receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting my small business.
Brief Recap: How to Preserve Roses
Before we dive into the creative projects, let’s quickly recap the methods for preserving roses. In my previous post, How to Preserve Roses at Home: Easy Techniques Anyone Can Master, I shared four effective ways to dry your precious blooms:
- Hanging: The classic air-drying method, perfect for preserving entire bouquets.
- Oven-drying: A faster technique that works well for individual blooms or petals.
- Microwave drying: The quickest method, ideal for those short on time.
- Silica gel: The best option for maintaining the roses’ shape and color.
Each method has its unique benefits, so choose the one that suits your needs and the look you’re going for. Remember, the quality of your preserved roses will impact the final result of the projects we’re about to explore.
Now that we’ve refreshed our memory on how to obtain those beautiful dried roses, let’s get creative with them!
1. Tied Nosegay
Perhaps the easiest way to display your dried roses is to collect them into a small bundle and tie them with a beautiful ribbon. This dried flower bouquet can be placed on a mantel or a shelf as a beautiful display. The roses in this design were dried using the Microwave drying method.
2. Frame Wreath
One of my favorite wreaths to make is made on a vintage picture frame. This picture frame wreath below was made using dried roses that I preserved using the hang drying method. I combined dry roses with dried flowers and faux flowers to create this look. With my hot glue gun, I clustered the blooms to two of the corners and hung the wreath with a ribbon.
3. Potpourri
Add your roses or rose petals to your favorite dried flower potpourri. Use any drying method and mix the blooms and dry rose petals with a mixture of assorted dried flowers and place them in a jar. Add your favorite essential oil scent (8-10 drops) and cover for 7 days so the scent fragrance permeates the flowers. You can then transfer the potpourri to sachets or a decorative dish.
4. Shadow Box
Designing your own dried rose shadow box is easy with this premade shadow box from Amazon. For this design, I used the roses and the greens that I had dried using Silica crystals. In addition to the 3 large dried roses and the 5 miniature dried spray roses, I used dried red plum and white faux cherry blossoms. Using my hot glue gun I started by clustering the large roses in the center. Then I added the leaves. Next the small roses then I filled in with dried plum and cherry blossoms to finish this unique dried flower piece of art.
5. Rose Garland
Make this simple rose garland with the special roses you received from a loved one. This garland was made with spray roses which tend to be smaller but can easily be done with larger roses. This process is easier when the roses have not been dried yet (fresh flowers). Add these pretty twinkle lights to your garland or enjoy it as is.
DIY Rose Garland with Twinkle Lights
Equipment
- 1 Floral Design knife or scissors
Materials
- 3 stems Fresh Spray Roses (each stem has 3-4 blooms)
- 1 spool White or gray thread
- 1 piece Sewing needle
- 1 set Battery operated twinkle lights
- 3 pieces AA Batteries (for twinkle lights)
Instructions
- Collect your supplies and with scissors or a floral design knife remove the heads (blooms) of the roses. You will want to keep the bulb or green rounded part that sits below the petals.
- Measure the length you want your garland to be. This measurement should coincide with the length of your twinkle light strand. Once you have this measurement cut a piece of thread double that measurement and thread it through the needle and tie a knot at the end. Resulting in the thread being doubled.
- Pierce the first rose through the bulb and thread the needle through.
- Be sure to leave about 4" to the knot at the end of the thread so you have extra for hanging your garland.
- Thread the needle through once again to create a knot on the rose.
- Move to the next rose heads and repeat the process. Be sure to leave 4" between each bloom.
- Continue adding roses until your garland is full.
- Lay the garland in a straight line and then lay the strand of twinkle lights next to it. Wrap one rose head at a time around the strand of lights. Continue until the rose garland is fully wrapped around the lights.
- The lights are on a thin wire which will support the garland. The gray thread is almost impossible to see against the light strand.
- If you havent already, add the batteries to the light strand. Hang the garland where you can enjoy it.
- Let the roses dry naturally.
Notes
15 More Ways to Use Dried Roses: Creative Ideas for Petals and Blooms
Dried roses are versatile and can be used in many creative ways beyond our main projects. Here’s a list of additional ideas to inspire you to make the most of your preserved petals and blooms:
- Create homemade rose water for a natural facial toner
- Craft DIY rose-scented bath salts for a luxurious warm bath
- Make a beautiful rose-scented rose petal candle
- Design rose bath bombs or a simple rose petal bath for a spa-like experience
- Infuse rose body oil for natural beauty products
- Craft a delicate flower crown for special occasions
- Use dried petals as natural confetti for eco-friendly celebrations
- Make rose-infused oil for aromatherapy or cooking
- Create your own rose perfume with essential oils
- Use dried petals in homemade face masks or soaps for a natural skincare routine
- Decorate apothecary jars with layers of colorful rose petals
- Make rose petal-infused honey for a touch of elegance in your tea
- Create pressed flower art in glass frames
- Use dried petals to decorate handmade paper
- Make sachets with dried rose buds for a fresh rose smell in drawers
These creative ideas offer various ways to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of your dried roses long after they’ve been preserved. Whether you’re looking for decorative purposes, beauty products, or special gifts, there’s a project here for every rose lover.
Thanks for visiting the blog today for What to Do with Dried Roses: 20 Easy Crafts for Preserved Blooms! If floral arrangements are your thing, be sure to visit my home floral design page where I cover both fresh and faux floral designs that you can create for your home.
Keep creating friends!
