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Winter Dried flower decorations (Part 1)

Updated: Oct 29

Part 1 of "Let's make a budget flower decoration," mostly for free. This is all about what to collect and prepare before we start.


Bundles of dried flowers in red, pink, and brown hues hang on a wooden lattice against a muted wall, creating a rustic, vintage mood.
Dried flower hanging rack is nearly full

We will need to gather a few things for our dried flower decoration before we start making it in November. Some of the things we need will be free to forage, and others we will need to buy; both will need a little drying time.


  1. Supermarket flowers - darker flowers like roses and asters dry really well. I would buy at least 10 flowers if it’s in your budget. Open them and take off the lower leaves, put them in a vase to enjoy for a few days, and just before they wilt, tie them back together with an elastic band and hang them in a warm place. It will take about a week to 10 days.


  1. Forage for some fir cones. There are quite a few around. Check out tall fir trees locally and see if there are any underneath. The squirrels may have gotten to a few first, so look them over. I would leave them outside for a couple of days so any insects can wander off, and then bring them inside to dry out.


  1. Find some straight, bendy sticks or forage for them respectfully. Willow, beech, or dogwood are great. See if you can get them 50-75 cm in length. Leave them outside to dry a bit, and I’ll show you how to use them in part 2.


  1. Rosemary twigs, bay leaves, and/or fir branches. We can use them fresh, but it’s good to ask to see if you can have some.


  1. (Optional) oranges to dry the slices. I haven’t been massively successful in doing this, but this is the year we will win!


  1. Old bits of wire and string.


  1. Odd pieces of ribbon. I’m a hoarder, so I always have random things around. If you aren’t like me, find a friend who is ☺️ or look out for bits to keep.


  1. If you have any extra budget you could buy cinnamon sticks or other bits you think would be pretty in a decoration.


  1. Ivy is an optional extra which can be used fresh too but it does come with a tummy upst warning if you don't use gloves. If it is for you check out places you could respectfully forage it.


Look out for part 2, which will be in the newsletter at the end of the month. Sign up on the contact page if you haven't already.



The woodland trust have more information on sustainable foraging and you can check out their post here.


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