I believe there’s something a little heartbreaking about throwing away beautiful flowers, every time they begin to wilt, it feels wasteful.

That’s why I decided to find a way to preserve their beauty, and I came across a fantastic idea - pressed flower bookmarks.

Today, I’m excited to share how I made these stunning bookmarks, and hopefully, it will inspire you to give your flowers a second life too!

Materials Needed

You'll need:

• Fresh flowers (I used pansies, daisies, and a few ferns)
• Wax or parchment paper.
• Heavy books.
• Scissors.
• Cardstock or watercolor paper.
• Clear-drying craft glue (I went with mod podge).
• Laminating sheets.
• Optional: Hole punch and ribbon or twine for decoration.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Pressing the Flowers

I started by collecting flowers that were just about to wilt. After drying them off, I placed the flowers between sheets of wax paper, then sandwiched them inside a heavy book.

To ensure they pressed evenly, I stacked a few more books on top and left them for about two weeks.

Step 2: Preparing the Bookmark Base

While waiting for the flowers to press, I cut out the bookmark bases. I used watercolor paper since it’s thick and sturdy.

I cut them into 2” by 6” pieces, but you can choose any size you like.

Step 3: Arranging and Gluing the Flowers

I found it helpful to lay out different designs before gluing anything down.

Once I liked the arrangement, I brushed a bit of glue onto the back of each flower and pressed them onto the paper.

Step 4: Sealing the Bookmark

To keep the flowers protected, I sealed the bookmarks with self-adhesive laminating sheets. You can also use a laminator if you have one.

After trimming the edges, you can also add a hole punch at the top and tied on some twine to give the bookmarks a little extra charm.