Press flowers that keep their colour, flat and even
- Over 2,000 ratings
- Paper and card included
- Gift ready box
The book method fails for one reason: the moisture has nowhere to go. A real press with blotting paper you can change draws it out, so the petals dry instead of browning.
See the Poppy press
Why book pressing lets you down
Most people press their first flower in a heavy book and open it weeks later to find it brown and a little sad. The flower did not fail. Here is what did.
The moisture stays in
Book pages absorb a little, then stop. The petal sits wet, and a wet petal goes brown and can mould.
The pressure is uneven
A stack of books presses the middle and not the edges. Thicker flowers curl and crack.
You cannot change the paper
Damp pages stay damp for weeks. You cannot swap them for dry ones without unpicking the whole thing, so most people give up before they see a result.
Pressure you can tighten, paper that pulls the water out
Bolts at each corner give even pressure across the whole sheet. Blotting paper, two sheets per layer, draws the moisture out of the petal instead of trapping it. Change the paper after 24 hours, again after two or three days, then weekly, and most flowers are done in two to three weeks, flat and still holding their colour.
Three weeks from now
Nobody presses flowers for the pressing. Here is what is actually on the other side of the three weeks.
Flowers that still look like flowers
Flat, papery, and still the colour they were when you picked them. Not the brown smudge a book gives you.
Something worth framing
Most people frame their first good one. It is usually from a walk, a garden or a bouquet they did not want to throw away.
A reason to slow down
Ten minutes to load, then you leave it alone. Opening it three weeks later is the best part.
“I didn't expect flower press to take over 2 weeks but that's part of the fun! It helps me slow down and gives me something to look forward to.”
Poppy, the travel flower press
Small enough for a walk, big enough for most garden flowers, and the least expensive way to find out whether you love pressing. As one customer put it: so much easier than using books.
- 10.8 x 6.9 in, four corner bolts and wing nuts
- Blotting paper and card dividers for every layer, two sheets per layer
- Sheets go back in once dry; refills fit her exactly
- Illustrated manual, video tutorials and The Pressed Flower Companion
- Gift ready box
See every photo and review on the Poppy page
Pressing bigger flowers or a bouquet? Flora and Lilabelle are the larger sizes.
A book, a microwave press, or a real press
All three work. They just fail in different places.
| A heavy book | Microwave press | Poppy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture | Pages absorb a little, then stop | Driven off fast by heat | Blotting paper you change on a schedule |
| Pressure | Uneven, heavy in the middle | Even, but a small area | Four corner bolts, even across the sheet |
| Colour | Often browns | Can scorch if you overdo it | Holds colour better when the paper is changed |
| Speed | Two to four weeks | Minutes | Two to three weeks |
| How much at once | One or two stems per book | One at a time | Multiple layers at once |
| What it costs you | A warped book | A gadget that does one job | Reusable paper and a press that lasts |
Real words from real reviews
This was my first flowerpress and is my favourite one so far. Its size is perfect for traveling and it has a beautiful design. Great value for money as well.
I find this much more successful than using books. I'm very pleased with this. It is very strong and is well made.
It's easy to use, sturdy and the pressed flowers come out so gorgeous & paper thin with vibrant colors. Just what I was looking for.
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Common questions
How long does it take?
Ten minutes to load, then two to three weeks in the press; thick blooms can take four. Open it only to change the paper: after 24 hours, again after two or three days, then weekly. Every other opening interrupts the flattening. They are done when they feel papery and no longer cool to the touch.
Will my flowers go mouldy?
They can if they hold water. Change the paper after the first day or two while it is damp, keep the press somewhere warm and dry, and press thick flowers like roses as separate petals, then arrange them back into a flower once dry. That is the whole secret, and it is what a book cannot do.
Is Poppy big enough?
For a posy from a walk and most garden flowers, yes. For one big dahlia or peony, Flora. For a whole wedding bouquet, Lilabelle. The compare page puts all four side by side.
Can I reuse the paper?
Yes. Once a sheet is fully dry it goes back in. When you want to press more at once, the Travel refill is cut for Poppy's frame.
What if something is missing or wrong?
Email us and we put it right. If a bolt will not thread or anything arrives damaged, we replace it.
Stop opening the book to brown petals
Poppy, paper and card included.