Freeze Drying flowers?

My sister had freeze dried flowers at her wedding and no one knew they weren't fresh! They looked freshly picked and kept for years after the wedding (until the children got to them).

Here is a link for you with some information, it looks like you need special equipment to do it (not stuff you would have at home): http://www.florage.com/freeze-dried-flowers.html

Hope this info. helps you.

Freeze Drying Flowers At Home

Well...ah...actually...I've never heard of anyone doing that at home. There are two or three widely accepted methods for drying flowers, and to the best of my knowledge none of them employ freezing temperatures.

The first method is simply letting them air dry. They hang upside-down in a dark, cool location for however long it takes. Some flowers , like roses, need to have florist's wire wound around the stem and inserted into the bloom to keep it from falling off. Not all roses do that, but if there's any moisture between the petals you can end up with a mess. This technique is perfect for retaining the fragrance, if not so much the color, of the flowers.

The second method uses silica gel crystals. Gently set the bloom on a bed of crystals and begin sprinkling more crystals around and inside the petals. Make sure the petals are in the position you want them to be when the bloom is completely dry because they won't remain flexible enough to fuss with. This method is preferred for complex blooms such as peony and chrysanthemum. It preserves the shape, but not the fragrance, of the flower.

The third method uses a flower press. Simple blooms such as pansy and also foliage are laid between two felted surfaces, a frame is put on the outside, and the whole contraption is clamped together to maximize pressure. The end result retains the flower's color better than other methods. Flattened flowers can be used on stationery and other flat surfaces.

Some people (myself included) use a microwave press. It's specifically designed to remove the moisture from the flowers quickly using heat. Timing is tricky though, because a few too many seconds will burn the color right out of the petals.

I hope this helps!

ETA: I stand corrected! Thanks for that awesome link, booboo!