Your wedding day is over, the last guest has stumbled into their Uber, and you’re left staring at hundreds of dollars worth of gorgeous blooms that are already starting to droop.
Before you toss them in the trash like yesterday’s emotions, consider giving those flowers a second life that’ll make your crafty heart sing.
1. Press Them Into Memory Books
Wedding flowers make incredible pressed flower art, and honestly, it’s one of the most satisfying ways to preserve your big day. The process is ridiculously simple – sandwich your blooms between heavy books with parchment paper, wait a few weeks, and voilà.
Smaller flowers like baby’s breath, pansies, and delicate roses work best for pressing. Skip the thick, fleshy blooms unless you want to wait months for them to dry properly.
Once pressed, these botanical treasures can become bookmarks, greeting cards, or even framed art for your home. Your mother-in-law will be genuinely impressed when you gift her a handmade card featuring actual flowers from your bouquet.
2. Create Potpourri That Actually Smells Good
Store-bought potpourri often smells like a gas station air freshener had a fight with a craft store. Wedding flower potpourri, on the other hand, carries the actual scent memories of your special day.
Pull apart your roses, peonies, and other fragrant blooms, then spread the petals on a baking sheet to air dry. This takes about a week, depending on humidity levels and how impatient you are.
Mix the dried petals with essential oils that complement your flowers’ natural scents. Rose petals pair beautifully with bergamot oil, while lavender plays well with vanilla or sandalwood.
Store your finished potpourri in mason jars tied with ribbon from your wedding decorations. These make thoughtful gifts for bridesmaids who helped you survive the chaos of wedding planning.
3. Transform Them Into Natural Dye
This one’s for the eco-conscious crafters who want to squeeze every drop of beauty from their wedding investment. Flower dyeing is an ancient art that’s having a major moment, and your wedding blooms are perfect candidates.
Red roses create gorgeous pink and coral tones on fabric, while yellow flowers can produce everything from pale butter to deep gold. Blue and purple flowers are trickier but can yield stunning lavender hues.
The process involves simmering your flowers in water, straining the liquid, then soaking pre-wetted fabric in the dye bath. White cotton, silk, and wool take color best, so raid your closet for items that could use a romantic makeover.
Consider dyeing your honeymoon wardrobe or creating custom napkins for your first dinner party as newlyweds. There’s something poetic about wearing colors extracted from your wedding day flowers.
4. Make Flower-Infused Bath Products
Wedding stress leaves its mark on your skin, and flower-infused bath products offer the perfect remedy. Rose petals are particularly luxurious in homemade bath salts, while lavender creates the ultimate relaxation experience.
Combine dried flower petals with Epsom salts, a few drops of essential oil, and food coloring if you want Instagram-worthy results. The ratio is roughly one cup of salt to two tablespoons of dried petals.
Bath bombs are slightly more complex but incredibly rewarding to make. The fizzy reaction combined with floating flower petals transforms your regular Tuesday night bath into a spa-like experience.
Package these creations in pretty jars or bags for bridesmaid thank-you gifts. After surviving your wedding planning meltdowns, they deserve some serious pampering.
5. Design Custom Candles
Candle-making with embedded flowers creates stunning pieces that burn beautifully and look like expensive boutique finds. The key is using completely dried flowers to prevent weird burning smells and potential fire hazards.
Soy wax works best for beginners because it melts at lower temperatures and won’t scorch your precious petals. Layer the flowers between pours to create depth and visual interest throughout the candle.
Choose scents that complement your flowers rather than competing with them. Unscented wax lets the natural flower fragrance shine, while light vanilla or clean linen scents enhance without overwhelming.
These candles make your home smell like romance and look effortlessly elegant on dinner tables. Light them during your first anniversary dinner for maximum sentimental impact.
6. Craft Flower-Embedded Soap
Handmade soap with real flower petals feels impossibly luxurious and makes thoughtful gifts that people actually use. Melt-and-pour soap bases make this project accessible even for crafting beginners.
Glycerin soap creates the clearest results, allowing your embedded flowers to show through like beautiful specimens in amber. Layer petals at different depths for a professional-looking finish.
Essential oils enhance both scent and skin benefits – rose oil is moisturizing, while lavender offers calming properties. Avoid fragrance oils that might clash with your flowers’ natural aromas.
Cut finished soap into guest-sized bars and wrap in tissue paper tied with twine. These work perfectly as housewarming gifts when you’re finally ready to adult and host dinner parties.
7. Build a Shadow Box Display
Shadow boxes turn your wedding flowers into museum-quality displays that preserve both blooms and memories. This option works especially well if you want to include other wedding mementos like your invitation or a piece of lace from your dress.
Choose flowers at different stages of drying to create texture and visual interest. Some petals can be fully dried and flat, while others might retain slight dimension and color variation.
Arrange elements on a neutral background that won’t compete with your flowers’ natural beauty. Cream, soft gray, or even deep navy creates sophisticated contrast without overwhelming delicate petals.
Include small cards with wedding details like your date, venue, or a meaningful quote from your vows. Future you will appreciate these memory triggers when you’re old and gray.
8. Create Botanical Wall Art
Large-scale pressed flower art makes a stunning statement piece for your new home together. This project requires patience but delivers gallery-worthy results that cost a fraction of professional botanical prints.
Group similar flowers together for impact, or create flowing arrangements that mimic your original wedding bouquet design. Symmetrical layouts feel formal and elegant, while organic arrangements offer relaxed, natural beauty.
Professional framing elevates the entire piece and protects your delicate flowers from humidity and fading. Choose frames that complement your home’s style rather than competing with the flowers themselves.
Multiple smaller pieces work beautifully as a gallery wall in hallways or above furniture. Vary the frame sizes and flower arrangements to create visual rhythm and interest.
Making Magic From Memories
These projects transform fleeting wedding flowers into lasting reminders of your special day. Each dried petal and pressed bloom carries the energy and joy of your celebration forward into your married life.
Choose projects that match your crafting skill level and available time. There’s no shame in starting with simple pressed flowers and working up to more complex candle-making as your confidence grows.
Most importantly, don’t feel pressured to preserve every single bloom. Sometimes the most beautiful gesture is sharing flowers with guests to take home, letting them create their own memories from your special day.