Dried flowers have experienced something of a renaissance of late, and it’s not difficult to see why. Since the world hunkered down at home, fashion and interiors have become more closely aligned than ever before, with outfits shot at home and mirrors/vases/sofas becoming the focal points of our OOTD snaps.
Thus, dried flowers – displayed in chic AF vases (probably by Anissa Kermiche) – are cropping up on more influencer feed than we can count. They’re a huge interiors trend for 2020, with dried eucalyptus, pampas grass, lavender, roses and thistles proving popular choices.
As with many interior trends, the resurgence of dried flowers started in Paris, with influencers including Marissa Cox and Sabina Socol fashioning table centrepieces and outfit shot backgrounds from preserved bouquets and pampas grasses. And as we look to postponed weddings of 2021, they’re set to be bigger than ever, being used as bridal bouquets that’ll last forever, backdrops and centrepieces. So. Chic.
@sabinasocol / Instagram
@sabinasocol / Instagram
@ruerodier / Instagram
While they may look great on your Instagram, they’re also seriously practical: one of the biggest reasons why we can’t get enough of the trend.
While fake flowers have a bit of a bad rep, for looking cheap and, well… *very* faux, buying a fresh bunch of peonies each week isn’t really that realistic. Especially when you’ve got a flat to clean, matching co-ordsto style up and numerous socially-distanced picnics to attend. So, dried flowers provide us with a fail-safe solution. These maintenance-free blooms don’t need light or water to look fab-u-lous. They can be stored in rooms with next to no natural light, last for years if you treat them well and they’re much better for the environment than fresh flowers are – which have likely been grown and flown from abroad. Oh, and did we mention they’re 100% natural and biodegradable?
Win, win, win.
Best dried flowers to buy
If you fancy giving your bedroom an instant face lift with a bunch of dried blooms, there are a few great places to shop.
@thehappyblossoms / Instagram
Trouva, Etsy and Not On The High Street all offer affordable options for you to mix-and-match from independent sellers (and we’re all about supporting small business right now), while Anthropologie has recently diversified its interiors rosta and ventured into the trend. They’re selling mini dried flower bouquets and dried eucalyptus.
How to care for dried flowers
When it comes to caring for dried flowers, there are two main rules. Don’t get them wet and keep them out of direct sunlight. Past that, you’ve kinda got free reign.
If they get dusty, blast them with a hair dryer rather than getting them damp, ‘cos they’ll only go mouldy if you do.
How to dry flowers at home
It’s pretty easy to dry your own flowers, if you’re looking for things to do at home. Pick up a fresh bunch of flowers from one of these flower delivery services, then keep them dry and out of the sun and they’ll be ready to display within 10 days.
It’s a good idea to hang them upside down with string , but make sure you keep your bunch small. If you have lots of flowers, split them up into smaller bunches, because otherwise they’ll take much longer to dry. And there’s only so long your Insta fans can wait for that snap!
Oh, and don’t think you can only dry flowers like roses and lavender. You can also dry grasses, weeds, eucalyptus and other plants that don’t flower. Experimenting with different textures in your dry flower display makes for something really unique.
If you don’t fancy drying your own flowers at home, we’ve found a whole load of Instagram-worthy dried flowers ready to shop and bang on your feed.