- 1). Cut fresh flowers first thing in the morning. Flowers stressed by heat don't dry as well as those that are fresh.
- 2). Cut stems to the same length; 12 inches is long enough for most arrangements. Remove all leaves and thorns from stems.
- 3). Group the flowers in bunches of six to 12, depending on the size of the flowers. Roses are large, so they should be in smaller bunches to allow for air circulation. Larkspur has smaller flowers and narrower stems, allowing you to dry them in bigger bunches.
- 4). Wrap a rubber band snugly around the ends of the stems. Turn the bunch upside down and shake gently so all the petals and flowers face down.
- 5). Unfold a paperclip so it looks like an S. Slip one end of the "S" into the rubber band. Use the other end of the "S" to hang the flowers upside down, out of bright direct light. Light fades a flower's colors. Hook them on lattice work, a trellis or from cup hooks.
- 6). Let the flowers dry until the stems are stiff and the petals crisp. In Arizona, during the summer months of May and June, that is as little as two or three days. During the more humid, monsoon months of July and August, it takes flowers longer to dry. Flowers dry quickly in the low humidity of the rest of the year.
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