The History and Art of Flower Pressing and How to Do It at Home
•2 min read
(Last updated: 02/02/2026)
TL;DR
Flower pressing is an ancient tradition dating back to Egypt and popularized in Victorian England as a way to collect, study, and preserve plants, and it later became a huge inspiration for art and design. Today, it is a simple, meaningful way to stay connected to nature, which is why this kit was created to help pass the tradition down through generations. You place flowers or leaves between paper, sandwich them between the boards, tighten the screws, and let them dry for a few weeks, swapping paper as needed to prevent moisture and browning. Flat flowers work best, thicker ones can be split, and with a little patience, you end up with beautiful, preserved pieces of nature to keep or create with.
Flower pressing is a timely tradition that has been passed on from generation to generation. It's deeply rooted in our cultural history and humanities heritage and relationship to mother nature. This simple flower press activity can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times but really took off in Victorian England. Pressing flowers and plants helped people keep track, collect, and label the plant life around them. Understand and cataloging what plants were harmful and which plants were beneficial became a huge source of knowledge. Flower press kits were first introduced early on as way to press flowers on the go, this enabled early pioneers to collect and log plants as they traveled.
Flower pressing has also contributed heavily to the arts as well by becoming some of our first pattern prints that then lead and inspired design. This two-dimensional image of life itself helps to keep us connected to nature even when we eradicate it in our concrete jungles. This project motivated us to not only encourage everyone to partake in the cultural tradition, but to even create our own flower press to pass on to our children for many generations to come.
As travel expanded, flower press kits were created so explorers and early pioneers could document plants on the go. Over time, flower pressing became more than science, it became art.
Let's get into it: use your kit to press flowers, ferns, or leaves. The main concept is to keep your samples flat and dry them out as quickly as possible to prevent browning.
Flower Pressing as an Art Form
Pressed flowers were some of the earliest inspirations for decorative pattern design. These preserved, two-dimensional pieces of nature helped people stay connected to the natural world, even as cities and concrete landscapes grew.
This legacy inspired us to create our own flower press kit, designed to be used, loved, and passed down for generations.
How to put the flower press kit together:
- Gently place fresh flowers, ferns or leaves in between paper sheets.
- Sandwich the paper sheets within the cardboard and wood pieces.
- Insert the screws and tighten the nuts.
Instructions:
Depending on the plants you choose, the wings nuts might need to be tightened after a few days or the paper sheets may need to be replaced if they are too moist. Some flowers will need to be pressed for up to three to four weeks.
Replace paper sheets and cardboard between uses if they are dirty or wet.
Flowers with naturally flat faces are the easiest to press.
For thick flowers, like orchids or roses, try splitting them down the middle and pressing half or part of the flower.
We hope you can take some time to press some plants this year!
Flower press kit FAQ's
How many days after the initial press should I change the paper?
This completely depends on the moisture of the leaf or flower and environment you are in, but usually 2 days or so is a good idea.
How big are the sheets of paper on the flower press?
7.75" x 3.5"
How was the design done?
Custom illustrated by Em and then laser cut and hand sanded with love
When is the best time to use the flower press kit?
We usually prefer fall and spring, but any time there are plants you want to press works well too!
