How To Dry Hydrangeas
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Learn how to dry hydrangeas with this simple tutorial so you can enjoy beautiful flowers year-round.
Hydrangea blossoms are here, and their vibrant colors make the loveliest flower arrangements.
I love that hydrangea bushes produce so many clusters of flowers, and I’ll pop them in mason jars or a vase of water all summer long. Fresh flowers in the home can truly lift the mood.
The sadness is when our homegrown flowers are gone for the season. But this does not have to be the case with hydrangeas! Why not just preserve food, but also flowers?
There are so many gorgeous hydrangea varieties with different shapes and shades of color. They tend to grow well regardless of the gardener!
Did you know they dry almost as perfectly as they grow on the bush?
Why You’ll Love Dried Hydrangeas
Preserve your blooms: Drying your own hydrangeas preserves them for a very long time!
Uncomplicated and economical: A few simple steps for an incredibly easy drying method that doesn’t cost a thing.
Beautiful and unique home decor: Added color, texture, and life in your home! Hang them on a blanket ladder or arrange them on your counters, shelves, a DIY fireplace mantel, or coffee table– a dried flower arrangement is a lovely addition anywhere!
Towards the end of summer, our lovely blue hydrangeas develop increasingly purple and green hues. I harvest them at this stage because this is when I love them the most.
The blooms have a vintage ambiance and glow, adding so much color and life as a centerpiece on my dining table whether fresh or dried.
This stage of blues, greens, and purples also acts as a notice for me that my blooms are reaching the end of their summer cycle.
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Tools you may need:
Glass jar or twine
How to Dry Hydrangeas
Step 1: At the end of the season, hydrangeas begin to dry out on their own. At this stage, and before too many petals turn brown or wilt, I cut armfuls of the flowers for drying. They may already feel a bit crisp, which is great.
Step 2: Remove the leaves from the stems. Place them upright in an empty jar or vase, or hang them upside down with twine. Display them around your home as they dry! To preserve their vibrant colors, avoid leaving them in direct sunlight.
Step 3: Allow to dry. The stems become brittle and turn brown as the flowers dry. This is a great indicator of the progress.
Your hydrangea petals will turn papery crisp, but they are surprisingly resilient. I lost very few petals while handling my dried flowers.
Hydrangeas may take a full week (sometimes a couple of weeks) to fully dry, but you can enjoy them throughout your home during this time!
My dried blooms lasted several years!
Tips
- Harvest your flowers later in the day, after any dew or moisture has dried.
- You want to cut the hydrangea stems long enough to hang or prop in a jar.
- A full bloom with some brown spots is okay! This is a good sign that the flowers are mature. Young blooms won’t have the same fullness and they won’t dry quite as well.
- Place them in an area with reasonable air circulation to dry them thoroughly.
- Avoid placing the drying flowers in direct sunlight, as this can fade the colors.
- If hanging your flowers upside down, hang them free of walls or furniture. If they are pressed against a wall or object, they’ll dry with a flat spot.
- I prefer the vase method, as the final form of the hydrangeas is the most natural-looking. The hanging flowers, once right-side up, are beautiful, but a bit more unnaturally vertical.
- Many people recommend a spritz of hairspray over the dried flowers to further preserve and protect any brittle petals. I did not do this step and was very happy with my flowers.
FAQ
While the length of the drying process depends heavily on the airflow, humidity levels, and more, drying hydrangeas by hanging them may take anywhere from several days to more than a week.
Cut your flowers in late summer or early fall. This is the best way to preserve the plants’ best blooms while they have also begun drying out naturally.
While I didn’t use this particular method, it has been mentioned as an option for preserving the color and reducing any crumbling or falling apart. Just be sure the flowers are thoroughly dried first.
More Favorite DIYs for Around the Home:
- Homemade Air Freshener
- Natural Homemade Glass Cleaner
- Homemade Face Wash
- Natural Homemade Sunscreen – Bug Repellant
- DIY Lip Scrub
How To Dry Hydrangeas
Save This Recipe
We’ll get it sent to your inbox! Plus, get new recipes from us every week.
Equipment
- Pruning shears
Instructions
- At the end of the season, hydrangeas begin to dry out on their own. At this stage, and before too many petals turn brown or wilt, I cut armfuls of the flowers for drying. They may already feel a bit crisp, which is great.
- Remove the leaves from the stems.
- Place them upright in an empty jar or vase, or hang them upside down with twine. Display them around your home as they dry! To preserve their vibrant colors, avoid leaving them in direct sunlight.
- The stems become brittle and turn brown as the flowers dry. This is a great indicator of the progress. Your hydrangea petals will turn papery crisp, but they are surprisingly resilient.
- Hydrangeas may take a full week (sometimes a couple of weeks) to fully dry, but you can enjoy them throughout your home during this time!
Notes
- Harvest your flowers later in the day, after any dew or moisture has dried.
- You want to cut the hydrangea stems long enough to hang or prop in a jar.
- A full bloom with some brown spots is okay! This is a good sign that the flowers are mature. Young blooms won’t have the same fullness and they won’t dry quite as well.
- Place them in an area with reasonable air circulation to dry them thoroughly.
- Avoid placing the drying flowers in direct sunlight, as this can fade the colors.
- If hanging your flowers upside down, hang them free of walls or furniture. If they are pressed against a wall or object, they’ll dry with a flat spot.
- I prefer the vase method, as the final form of the hydrangeas is the most natural-looking. The hanging flowers, once right-side up, are beautiful, but a bit more unnaturally vertical.
- Many people recommend a spritz of hairspray over the dried flowers to further preserve and protect any brittle petals. I did not do this step and was very happy with my flowers.
I love Hydrangeas. I purchased 2 this year and placed them on my deck. I think I will plant them in my landscape this fall and allow them to reach their full potential. I’ll going to pin your post, so I can start drying blooms next season. Thanks for sharing, and please add your post to my Sunday’s Best Linkup.
Thank you Rhonda! They are definitely one of the prettiest flowers. We were blessed to have 4 huge hydrangeas already planted at the house we bought. I hope yours grow big and beautiful too!