We try making dried flowers using a special, fast technique and get unexpectedly good results

Guys, are you scrambling to find a romantic White Day gift by March 14? If you want something a bit more classy to go along with your donuts or gummy udon, then maybe you should try this easy, do-it-yourself gift idea (and you’ll even get bonus points since it’s homemade!). Our sister site Pouch ran an article yesterday about how to make your very own dried flower bouquet in a matter of minutes. It’s a perfect present to surprise your friend with on a birthday or special occasion, too. Of course, the best part is that the flowers won’t fade away, so you can enjoy them and the memory for a long time. Plus, you’ll be shocked at just how easy it is!

Traditional air drying techniques usually take several weeks for the flowers to dry out completely. But this method using a hair dryer expedites the process so that they will be ready in only one or two days. Not a bad idea if you’re in a time crunch…

How to make beautiful dried flowers:
1. Prepare some flowers, a hair dryer, and a paper bag.
2. Put the flowers inside the paper bag, stem side-up.
3. Blow the flowers and leaves with the hair dryer inside the paper bag for about five minutes until all the moisture is gone. Be careful not to blow the heat directly on the petals.
4. Take the flowers out of the bag and hang them upside down in a place with good air circulation.

Take a look at the following slide show of the process compiled by our Japanese writer when he tried it out. The flowers came out really well despite it being his first attempt. He warns to be careful because flowers with weak stems may become a bit wilted after being blow-dried.

▼A fresh bouquet ready to be dried!