I love getting fresh flowers. Jesse usually gets flowers on special occasions and some days “just because.” Although I love having real, fresh flowers it always is sad to see them wither and wilt away and then go into the trash. Recently I have started a less wasteful life (this will be a blog post for another day) and although it is difficult with 2 children there are certain changes you can do/make that do help out and make a difference. I recently came across a recipe for rose water which can be used for a multitude of uses but it makes a really good natural facial toner. So I said to myself next time I got roses I would attempt the recipe. On top of that I love the look of dried, dead flowers. They make beautiful arrangements and when hung upside down a unique statement for your home decor. So today this blog post will be about how I made my rose water and what I did to make my dried flower arrangement. Just an idea for you to use next time you get pretty flowers.

DIY Rose Water:

Rose Water is amazing. It has a great deal of antioxidants. You may have seen it in several different types of skin care. It makes a great natural toner however rose water has a multitude of uses. From cooking to skincare to overall mood enhancement. You can add it to tea to help with headaches and sore throats. Whatever you need it is always good to have a jar of this lying around.

1) Take off several rose heads. I cut them from the top of the stem and most of them were still alive but not looking so great. I used some that were also pretty dead looking, with brownish petals

2) Take all the petals off the flower stem and add to a bowl

3) Run the petals under luke warm water to make sure they’re nice and clean

4) Add to a pot of 1.5L of distilled water (you can realistically use real water) bring to a boil on medium heat and then lower once it starts boiling

5) Simmer for 20-30 minutes

6) Strain the petals out of the pot and then add the water into a glass jar for safe keeping

When making a facial toner add 1-2 tablespoons of the rosewater and enough distilled water to fill a spray bottle. You can use whatever spray bottle you have and even better to save an old one that was used for your previous facial spray. As long as it’s been properly washed out it’s just another thing that you don’t need to throw out.

Now for the homemade dried flower arrangement this is fairly simple. All you need to do for this is to take out the flowers you want, take off any leaves from the flower stems, but you can also use greenery in addition to the dried flowers to really make them pop. You can cut them if need be to whatever size you desire but leave at least 6 inches of stem. Tie the flowers you want with either a string or rubber band. Place them in a cool and dark place OUT OF SUN, and this is the key part to preserving the colour in the dead flowers. A good place, is an attic or basement or a closet. Leave the flowers for 2-3 weeks. Once my flowers are ready to be used I plan to decorate them in the kitchen with my plants and art piece Jesse had commissioned for me for Christmas. I place to hang them upside down and they will make a nice little addition. They also seem so romantic and gothic to me. It might not be for everyone to decorate with old, dead flowers but I think it’s very pretty and it’s nice to not waste something so beautiful.

So there you have it! 2 different things that you can do with your dead flowers. I am sure there is more, like potpourri and what not. But these are the ones that I like so I thought I would share for anyone who doesn't feel like wasting their flowers. Enjoy!

Always,

Kari xoxo