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Drying Hydrangeas. It’s so easy.

August 19, 2017 77 Comments

I love fresh flowers.  I love Hydrangeas.  I will even tolerate dried flowers…. as long as they’re Hydrangeas.
Here’s an easy way to dry them, and it’s amazing how long they will keep!

How to dry hydrangeas. So easy!

First, find yourself a Hydrangea bush.  If your neighbors have one and you don’t… make friends with your neighbors.

Easy tips on how to dry hydrangeas.

Go ahead and clip the flowers that have opened up.

Easy tips on how to dry hydrangeas.

Strip the leaves off of the stem.

Easy tips on how to dry hydrangeas.

Now you’re ready to dry your Hydrangeas.  It’s super difficult.  Are you ready…?

Put them in water.    That’s it.

If you try to dry a Hydrangea without leaving the stems in water, it will look like this.

hydrangea, flower, dried flower

However, if you simply put the stems in water and let the stems slowly suck up the water, it will look like this when it’s done drying.

Easy tips on how to dry hydrangeas.

Which do you like better?
This one? hydrangea, flower, dried floweror this one?    dried hydrangea, drying flowers

For whatever reason, if the flower dries slowly, still slurping up a little water as it dries, it seems to retain its shape and color. For years.

This arrangement right here…?
dried flower, arrangement, hydrangea, green, white

I’ve had this urn of dried Hydrangeas for about 2 years now.  They are white ones from my yard and as they dry, they take on a greeenish hue.  I prefer lighter colored Hydrangeas when drying them, but that’s just personal preference.

Using an empty jar or vase, I fill it with water then put the shortest stems along the edge of the vase…

Easy tips on how to dry hydrangeas.

…then stick the longer stems in the middle. I want the arrangement to look full while it’s drying, but I don’t want the blooms to be smushed. (That’s a technical floral designer term: smushed)
Just make sure that all of the stems are well covered by water.

white, flower, hydrangea, arrangement, bouquet

In this case, I pop the jar into a pretty vase and I will leave it just like this. When the full jar of water is empty, chances are that the flowers are dried and ready to be used. (If they are NOT dried, keep adding water until they are.)

white, flower, hydrangea, arrangement, bouguet, blue vase

This will sit, just like this, for a week or so.  Then I’ll have dried Hydrangeas.  Easy peasy.

Filed Under: cheap and easy, Crafts, floral design, project du jour, tutorial

Comments

  1. Mary says

    May 26, 2011 at 4:12 PM

    Awesome! My hydrangeas are just starting to bloom now, so I will try this soon. Thanks for the info! Have a great weekend, Mary :O)

    Reply
  2. Prudently Painted Vintage says

    May 26, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    Sadly I don’t know anyone or have neighbors that are growing hydrangeas. Maybe I could go make friends with a total stranger 🙂

    Very pretty!

    Reply
  3. Kaitlin Saenz says

    May 26, 2011 at 6:30 PM

    I love this! I did this awhile back and gave the dried hydrangeas to my sister to decorate her room when she was redoing it and two and a half years later they still look beautiful! I was thinking about doing this for my place the other day! Thanks for the extra boost of encouragement to actually getting around to it!

    I’ve been following you for a little while now and have really enjoyed it!:)

    Kaitlin
    Notsosimplehousewife.blogspot.com

    Reply
  4. Nicole@Thrifty Decorating says

    May 26, 2011 at 6:48 PM

    I never realized that my laziness is what contributed to my perfectly dried hydrangea’s!!

    I never remember to empty the water and they end up sitting there forever! LOL

    Can I act like I knew what I was doing??

    Reply
    • elizabeth says

      December 27, 2016 at 9:22 AM

      I think you can act like that yes! He he!!

  5. Johanson Family says

    May 26, 2011 at 9:43 PM

    Beautiful! I bought some pink and blue ones for my gender reveal party and they are just gorgeous flowers!! I can’t believe how much water they need and I think that’s why most of my flowers die– I’m so lazy about watering– but I have kept these alive.. Always love your posts…

    Reply
  6. MiMi says

    May 26, 2011 at 10:50 PM

    So basically once they’re dry you can leave em like that. Right? Cuz I’m the queen of letting flowers die and then dumping them out a week too late.

    Reply
  7. Heaven's Walk says

    May 27, 2011 at 2:30 AM

    Great tutorial! I dried my “Blushing Bride” hydrangeas a couple years ago and I still bring them back out for the autumn season. 🙂

    xoxo laurie

    Reply
  8. Heaven's Walk says

    May 27, 2011 at 2:30 AM

    Great tutorial! I dried my “Blushing Bride” hydrangeas a couple years ago and I still bring them back out for the autumn season. 🙂

    xoxo laurie

    Reply
  9. Erin says

    May 27, 2011 at 2:42 AM

    Hi Vivienne,

    I’m visiting from the French Country Cottage and am so glad to have run across this post! I have access to two hydrangea bushes, which are both beginning to bloom now, and I wanted to dry some of the flowers this year. Only problem was that I didn’t know what to do! Now I do, thanks to you. 🙂

    Erin
    Carolina Country Living

    Reply
  10. Kelli @ RTSM says

    May 27, 2011 at 5:05 AM

    I love hydrangeas! My mom has some dried ones that she has had forever, but I always assumed she bought them somewhere…maybe she dried them herself it it’s that easy:) Now to find a friend who has a hydrangea plant!

    Reply
  11. Simplegirl says

    May 27, 2011 at 6:01 AM

    I just posted on my hydrangeas and now I know what to do with them when I clip them, thank you so much for this tip! Glad to have found you.

    Reply
  12. Lydia says

    May 27, 2011 at 7:13 AM

    Is there anything lovelier than a hydrangea?

    Reply
  13. slommler says

    May 27, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    I too love hydrangeas!! I will definitely bookmark this tip!! Water well and wait. Love it!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

    Reply
  14. Connie Weiss says

    May 27, 2011 at 1:40 PM

    I had no idea!!

    I had light yellow hydrangeas in my wedding bouquet. Love them!

    Reply
  15. Alexis @ persia lou says

    May 27, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    Hydrangeas are my faves, and I had no idea they dried so beautifully. Thanks!

    Reply
  16. Ange says

    May 27, 2011 at 6:50 PM

    You know I”m loving this post, hydrangeas are so wonderful! 🙂 Thanks for that great tutorial.

    Reply
  17. The Answer Is Chocolate says

    May 27, 2011 at 8:27 PM

    Thanks for the tutorial. These are so expensive to buy but I hadn’t tried drying my own!

    Reply
  18. Mary Ellen says

    May 27, 2011 at 10:32 PM

    I love hydrangeas and would love to have some tips on how to grow them so that I would have some to dry!! I keep killing mine

    Reply
  19. Suesan says

    May 28, 2011 at 12:14 AM

    Years ago, my mom and her friend went out at night and swiped some hydrangeas from some poor unsuspecting home owner. She and her friend would tee-hee over their loot whenever they got together. Their dried hydrangeas lasted for years. I do not own a hydrangea bush, so I may have to take a page out of my mom’s book. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it’s nice and dark before I go out.
    Thanks for the tips on how to dry my soon-to-be-acquired hydrangea arrangement.

    Reply
  20. Vicki V @ blestnest.blogspot.com says

    May 28, 2011 at 2:05 AM

    You must have read my mind, because I was just wondering how to dry my hydrangeas. Unfortunately, mine are probably almost done for this year, but wait until next year! I’m going to have huge dried bouquets (I hope).

    Reply
  21. Amy @ Keep'n The SunnySide says

    May 28, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    Thanks for the tute and tips. I have always loved the look of dried hydrangeas but had no idea how to go about it.

    Reply
  22. Funky Junk Interiors says

    May 28, 2011 at 5:46 PM

    LOL!! Know what’s so incredibly funny? I always display my hydrangeas with water at first but FORGET about them. And yeah, they always dried and I always felt, “Man, they still look good so I’m not throwing them out!”

    Little did I know that by being lazy, I actually did a good thing. Awesome. 🙂 GREAT tip!

    Shared on FJI Facebook for SNS 83. 🙂

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Funky-Junk-Interiors/175378011140#!/photo.php?fbid=10150258571896141&set=a.192514281140.164586.175378011140&type=1&theater

    Donna
    http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  23. Just Jaime says

    May 29, 2011 at 12:48 AM

    Beautiful! These are my mom’s favorite flowers, so this is great to know

    Reply
  24. Anonymous says

    May 29, 2011 at 3:04 AM

    That is how to do it. I discovered this by accident many years ago. And those hydrangeas are still in good shape.

    Reply
  25. Red, Blonde and Burlap says

    May 29, 2011 at 3:14 AM

    This is great! I love hydrangeas, but don’t like buying them all the time. I’m definitely going to try this!

    Reply
  26. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    May 29, 2011 at 3:55 AM

    Loving this tip Viv! I absolutely LOVE dried hydrangeas! I do place mine in water and love them everywhere in the house – but I am going to leave them now until they are fabulously dried too! Thanks for sharing this at FNF! 🙂

    Reply
  27. Handy Man, Crafty Woman says

    May 29, 2011 at 5:10 AM

    I’ve always wanted to do this, thanks for the tips. Thanks for linking this up to Wicked Awesome Wednesday!

    Reply
  28. Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating says

    May 29, 2011 at 7:01 PM

    Hydrangeas are probably the only dried flower I like. Yours are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing how you do it!

    Reply
  29. gail says

    May 29, 2011 at 10:50 PM

    I love hydrangeas too! Mine didn’t bloom very much last year. I should have moved it over the fall/winter. 🙁
    love your dried ones!
    gail

    Reply
  30. Debra@Common Ground says

    May 30, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    Gosh, who knew…? not me! I’ll try that this year. I like your so much better! Thanks for sharing the inspiration at VIF! xo Debra

    Reply
  31. Cecily says

    May 30, 2011 at 7:53 PM

    Holy smokes! It’s like magic! You’re brilliant! Thanks for the post!

    Reply
  32. http://sneakapeekhomedecorating.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/simple-before-and-after/ says

    May 30, 2011 at 9:22 PM

    ooh I am gonna try this, thanks

    Reply
  33. Kim @ It's a Crafty Life says

    May 31, 2011 at 12:13 AM

    Who would’ve thought? Can’t wait to try it, thanks for linking it up!

    Reply
  34. Lindsey @ Inspiring Creations says

    May 31, 2011 at 5:49 PM

    I wish I would have known this for my wedding bouquet! It was full of hydrangeas! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
  35. Jennifer says

    May 31, 2011 at 11:20 PM

    I love hydrangeas! Wish I would have known this after my wedding!
    Jen

    Reply
  36. Beverly@southernhomesweethome says

    June 1, 2011 at 2:14 AM

    Thanks, I just posted this blog post on my blog. Wanted to let you know I love this hint and gave you credit for such a great hint!

    Reply
  37. Lauren @ My Wonderfully Made says

    June 1, 2011 at 4:10 PM

    Thanks so much for this tip! AND I DO have a neighbor who has bushes and bushes of these and every year asks if I want them! I did dry them hanging one year and was not happy with how they dried (now I know why!) so this year I will gladly take what they offer!

    Reply
  38. Johnnie says

    June 1, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    Lovely. I have never done anything like this before, and I have an empty vase I have been wanting to display. Thanks!

    Reply
  39. iram says

    June 2, 2011 at 3:57 AM

    wow now that easy and the results are sooooo beautiful but too bad i cant find these flowers very easily hear in my area :(but i will keep my eyes open if i find some then i know what to do 🙂 erum from arts crafts n hobbies

    Reply
  40. Fishtail Cottage says

    June 3, 2011 at 5:14 AM

    Wow – i never knew how…i tried to hang them upside down thinking that was the trick, but nope! Thank you for sharing. hope you link this post to Cottage Flora Thursday’s so more folks can see how to do this!?! xoox, tracie

    Reply
  41. Liz says

    June 3, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    This is a great post! You should link it up for Fresh-Cut Friday! 🙂

    ~Liz

    Reply
  42. BeccaLynn says

    June 3, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    Well how simple was that!
    I will have to dry some this summer.

    Your Hydrangeas are so beautiful!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  43. Trudy says

    June 3, 2011 at 11:00 PM

    Thank you so much for your great tips and hints!
    Trudy

    Reply
  44. A Lived in Home says

    June 4, 2011 at 2:52 AM

    They are my favorite and I never knew until now how to dry them properly! Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
  45. Mikey @ Shabby French Cottage says

    June 4, 2011 at 12:04 PM

    Thanks!!! Last year I planted 6 hydrangeas; this year, I’ve planted 7 more! That’s right 13 hydrangeas! Now, not all of them are blooming quite yet, but boy oh boy will it be pretty! I can’t wait to have the house full of blooms. Plus I bought re-bloomers, so I have to cut to encourage new growth! Yippee!!

    ~Mikey @ Shabby French Cottage
    http://www.shabbyfrenchcottage.com

    Reply
  46. Ladybird Ln says

    June 4, 2011 at 2:01 PM

    What a fantastic tip, I have always wondered hwo they do that!

    Carlee
    http://www.ladybirdln.com

    Reply
  47. Foundinthe-ALI says

    June 4, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    I just clipped some hydrangeas from the people I babysit for yesterday. I love hydrangeas. I’m so happy I can dry them!

    Reply
  48. Connie @ Measured by the Heart says

    June 5, 2011 at 12:30 AM

    I love this! Thank you so much for sharing! Now I just need some hydrangeas. –connie, measuredbytheheart.com

    Reply
  49. Karena says

    June 5, 2011 at 12:22 PM

    Vivienne I adore hydrangeas and would never have known this. I probably would have hung them upside down to dry, Ha!

    Be sure to enter my awesome $250 Giveaway from Tracy Porter!!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

    Reply
  50. Laura says

    June 5, 2011 at 3:25 PM

    Thank you so much. I have some hydrangeas in a mason jar right now. I will just leave them be until they dry!

    somersetstyle.blogspot.com

    Reply
  51. Brandi says

    June 5, 2011 at 4:34 PM

    My hydrangeas are just starting to bloom. Thank you so much for your great tip.

    Reply
  52. Carmel @ Our Fifth House says

    June 5, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    Thanks for the tip! I love hydrangeas!

    Reply
  53. Blessings from Cindy says

    June 6, 2011 at 2:25 AM

    I had never heard of drying hydrangeas this way. Thank you for sharing!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    Reply
  54. Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming says

    June 6, 2011 at 11:46 PM

    Hi Vivienne, Great post – this actually reminds me I need to add another hydrangea bush to the garden this year. Thank you so much for linking to the Sunday Showcase Party. I featured this on Sunday! Hope you have a lovely week ~ Stephanie Lynn

    Reply
  55. Mystica says

    June 7, 2011 at 3:12 AM

    Thank you for the tip.

    Reply
  56. Lori Alexander says

    June 7, 2011 at 11:29 PM

    I have been trying this for several days and it isn’t working. They just shrivel up after about 4 days. I am following directions exactly so I’m a bit disappointed!

    Reply
  57. Anonymous says

    June 8, 2011 at 7:04 PM

    Like Lori, mine shrivel up — with stems in the water — after just a couple of days. Any idea why???

    Reply
  58. Terry H. says

    June 8, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    I don’t know anybody with hydrangeas, so now I am going to have to go out and buy a bush because these are so pretty. I love cut flowers in the house, and these will be so pretty this winter.

    Reply
  59. Sheri says

    June 8, 2011 at 8:35 PM

    Thanks for the tutorial! I just bought 2 bushes and can’t wait to try this! Tip *** Try adding food coloring to the water and the flower will take on that color, blue, red, etc. Fun to experiment! ***

    Reply
  60. The girl with the golden quill says

    June 9, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    I love love love this! I have 3 bushes and can’t wait to try this! Thanks so much! 🙂

    Reply
  61. Annalea says

    June 11, 2011 at 5:11 PM

    If you want the color to stay truer, and the hydrangeas to be a bit more resilient, you can do the same thing but using glycerine instead of water. The flowers take it up, and it helps to preserve them.

    But I like the water trick. I’m going to have to try it!

    Reply
  62. Junker Newbie Stephanie says

    June 20, 2011 at 9:35 PM

    I had no idea it was so easy! thanks for sharing this 🙂

    http://junkernewbie.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  63. Rebekah says

    June 21, 2011 at 2:34 AM

    This is awesome! My blue hydrangeas are blooming right now and I have been wanting to know how to dry them.

    Reply
  64. Hydrangea Girl says

    July 24, 2012 at 1:26 PM

    Oh this is excellent. I’m hoping to have hydrangeas at our wedding, and it’s looking like it will cost a fortune to buy fresh ones.

    So trying this out starting this weekend.

    THANK YOU.

    Reply
  65. city says

    August 3, 2012 at 2:46 AM

    thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  66. Teacup Mosaics says

    August 8, 2012 at 12:39 PM

    I am off to the garden!!!!!
    Thanks!

    Reply
  67. Julie & Larry says

    August 11, 2012 at 5:51 PM

    I did this last year with hydrangeas from the garden. The flowers are very large and vary in colors on the same bush. I then used them all to stuff in between the branches of my christmas tree. It was gorgeous.

    Reply
  68. Anne says

    June 10, 2015 at 1:55 PM

    Always wanted to have dried hydrangeas to make wreathes for the doors: Christmas, Spring, Summer, Fall and so on. Now that I have the method to dry flowers and the bush right outside my window, I can go right ahead make my wreathes. Thank you for posting this

    Reply
  69. Sherrie Fairbanks says

    September 15, 2015 at 6:37 AM

    Hi Vivienne, I wanted to let you know that when i searched on the internet about how to dry hydrangeas , your very awesome website came up!! I am in the process of doing this right now!!! because i loved this so easy idea, i wanted you to also know that i have linked your “drying hydrangeas to a page on my e-commerce store.at this bitly: http://bit.ly/1Ot0yIs
    Thank you so much for this!! awesome!!
    sherrie

    Reply
    • Vivienne says

      September 17, 2015 at 3:11 PM

      Great! Thank you and good luck!

  70. Peggy Grover says

    May 24, 2016 at 5:09 PM

    I love the whole idea of drying my own hydrangeas, but mine were purchased as a potted plant at publix. will they still dry well?

    Reply
  71. Donna says

    September 12, 2016 at 9:31 AM

    once dried, can they still be dyed using Rit coloring or will they be too brittle and the flowers will crumble?

    Reply
  72. Flora F says

    May 1, 2017 at 10:28 PM

    I had a bush of the HYdrangeas and when they bloomed I
    I cut them and put them in water and they rooted. This is a good to get another Bush started.

    Reply
  73. Dotti Goldsmith says

    June 22, 2017 at 7:19 PM

    I’ve been drying hydrAingas like this fo years. Theew are a few that dont dry, but the majority do, and they beautiful.

    Reply
  74. Furntastic says

    September 24, 2017 at 11:32 PM

    It looks beautiful. Amazing tutorial. Thanks for sharing this post.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to dry hydrangeasFunky Junk Interiors says:
    June 22, 2014 at 4:49 PM

    […] can’t take credit for inventing this tip. Vivienne from The V Spot shared her version of how she dries hydrangeas with the water technique. After I read her post, I […]

    Reply

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