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Using Flower Dye to
Compensate for Fading
I'd recommend treating ferns
and foliage that are prone to fading. Use a weak solution of floral absorption dye before
pressing. This is especially helpful if you make sun catchers or use flowers that
fade quickly.
Before pressing,
properly
condition your ferns, foliage, and flowers as usual, but add the
dye to the warm water solution. Because you'll be pressing the
botanical materials, make the dye solution weaker than recommended.
Put the freshly cut stems in
the water with the dye and let them sit a few hours before pressing. They
come out great and no more worries about fading.
Even Roses Maintain a Natural
Look When Dyed Properly

Some flowers,
such as Roses, require a little more preparation. These roses were all the same white before dying. The pink and purple
roses were treated for about a day.
Process:
1. Strip off
leaves. 2. Prepare dye solution of: - Very warm water
- Cut flower preservative (Chrysal or Floralife) - Design Master "absorbit" systemic dye.
(or Koch) 3. Pour 2" of Floralife's Quick Dip Instant Hydration Pretreatment
into a plastic cup. 4. Cut off several inches of stem under water, then dip stems ends in
hydration solution. 5. Immediately place in the warm dye/preservative solution.
Remember,
flowers press darker so take them out of the dye when they're lighter
than you'd like.
The dye is
absorbed by the stem and leaves too, which can produce some
interesting effects.
To reduce
brittleness in the pressed fern or foliage, add a little glycerin or fabric
softener to
the solution, it doesn't take much.
The absorption dyes from
Koch
are the very best in my opinion, and they offer a great selection of over a
hundred colors including black. They deliver
very quickly; I highly recommend them.
Design Master
has floral absorption dyes in basic colors and are generally available from any
wholesale florist or floral supply dealer if you just can't wait. I couldn't
wait with the white roses shown above, so I went with what I had.
Koch dyes are more expensive
than Design Master dyes, but worth it.
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