Air-Drying

• This method works well with bouquets of flowers because it can preserve a bouquet just as it was arranged. Single flowers can also be air dried as well. Hanging the flowers is the easiest way to air dry them. Hang them just before they start to wilt or lose petals so you can preserve as much of the flower as possible. Tie twine, string or ribbon around the stem of the bouquet or break the flowers up into separate bunches so they dry quicker. Hang the flowers upside in a dry, warm room such as an attic, closet or pantry. Air-drying flowers should take about two weeks or more, depending on the humidity levels of the room and the moisture content of the flowers.
  
  

Pressing

• Pressing flowers is different from other methods of preserving flowers because the flowers are flattened, which diminishes their size and shape. The upside of pressing flowers is that they are easy to store and can be placed in your favorite book, slipped into an envelope or displayed in a scrapbook. Flowers are often pressed individually by placing the flower between two pieces of unglazed paper such as newspaper. A stack of heavy books is then placed on top of the paper to add weight. The drying process usually takes between two and four weeks.
  
  

Glycerine

• Glycerine is a chemical that can preserve flowers by replacing the water in the flowers with the glycerine. This method preserves the flowers and their fragrance in their freshest state so they look fresh and new all the time. This method needs to be performed when the flowers are fully hydrated, before they begin to wilt or fade. The stems of the flowers are placed in a mixture of two parts lukewarm water and one part glycerin. The flowers then soak up the mixture through the stems. This process usually takes two to three weeks to complete.
  
  

Silica Gel

• Silica gel are small beads of solid silica gel that absorb moisture. Using silica gel to preserve flowers absorbs the moisture in the flowers quickly which helps it preserve the color of the flower better than other methods, according to the North Dakota State University website. The silica gel beads must be used in an airtight container to prevent them from absorbing moisture from the air rather than the flower. The flower blooms are placed directly into a container filled with the silica gel beads and the container is then sealed. The moisture from the flowers is usually fully absorbed within about 36 to 48 hours. Unlike glycerine, the silica gel will remove the scent of the flowers.