Air drying flowers?

I have air dried roses plenty of times by hanging them upside down in a dark place but everytime I try it with carnations they shrivel up beyond recognition!! I coated my most recent flower well in aerosol hairspray before trying it, should that help?

Air drying flowers?
You might not want to hang your carnations isnce they have very brittle petals and would jus shrivel (as you found out already). You can also use Borax or sand as described in the 1st link. I pasted the info below:



Flowers that cannot be dried upside-down can be preserved by

burial in sand or borax. Although clean, sharp, shore sand

is best, sand used by building contractors is nearly as

good. If using Borax, it must be noted that Borax MAY leave

a slight film that is difficult to remove from the

delicate-textured flowers. If Borax is indeed used, make

sure it is not lumpy--sifting may be necessary.



Sand must be clean and dry, as damp sand will spot and spoil

the flowers. It is recommended to use an ordinary cardboard

carton large enough to hold several flowers. Put several

thicknesses of newspaper in the bottom will provide

additional strength. Pour in the sand to a depth of about

four inches. Flowers should be stripped of all foliage and

stems cut to the desired length. Short stems can be

lengthened later with wire. The flowers should stand

upside down, their heads placed so they do not touch each

other, then pour sand gently over them. When the large

flowers are partially covered, the spaces in between can be

used for smaller flowers. Continue to pour on sand until

the flowers are buried, however, it is not necessary to

completely cover the stems, as most stems dry fairly easily

in air. Be sure there is sand between each petal and in the

trumpets of flowers like the daffodil and lily. If the

flower is spike-shaped (like the coral-bells or

bleeding-heart) or pyramidal (like the lilac), lay them

lengthwise in the box and cover them gently with sand. When

the flowers are thoroughly dried, brush off the sand with a

soft brush or tissue, and pack them in boxes. Each box

should be labeled with the flower names it contains and

store them in a cool dark place for at least two weeks. If

borax is used, be sure it is not lumpy--it may be necessary

to sift it.



Flowers that dry well in sand or borax are:



Asters Cornflower Loosestrife

Balloon-Flower Cosmos Liatris

Balsam Daffodils Lupine

Bleeding-Heart Dahlias Painted Daisy

Butterfly Bush Delphinium Pansies

Candytuft Dandelion Peony

Canterbury Bells Day-Lily Rose

Carnations (Pinks) Geranium Shasta Daisy

Chrysanthemum Gladiolus Stock

Coleus Leaves Gloriosa Daisy Snapdragons

Columbine Iris Tulip

Coneflower Lilac Zinnias

Coral-Bells Lily

Coreopsis Lily-of-the-Valley
Reply:Your best method to use is a floral preservative. It dries all the moisture in the flowers, yet retains the flower's color and shape (with some fading and shrinkage). The product is called Silica Gel, and is available in most craft stores, and is usable over and over.
Reply:Maybe that'll help but the moisture might not be able to get out of the coat of spray. The flower might just rot. You should try pressing the carnations in a book.

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