Looking to bring a touch of natural elegance and handmade charm into your home? These 20 creative, stylish, and downright beautiful art projects with dried flowers are the perfect way to combine rustic farmhouse appeal with modern artistic flair. Whether you want to decorate your walls, create a functional masterpiece, or give a heartfelt handmade gift, these ideas will inspire your inner decorator.
Here at the Garden, we’re always looking for ways to bring the beauty of the outdoors in, and there’s something so timeless and charming about dried flowers. They hold onto a bit of summer’s magic, their muted tones and delicate textures adding a touch of rustic elegance to any space. But beyond just displaying them in a vase, dried flowers offer a world of creative possibilities! So, grab your foraged finds or your favorite dried bouquets, and let’s explore 20 unique and inspiring ways to incorporate them into your art and home decor. Get ready to get your hands a little petal-y!
1. Botanical Wall Mural
Create a breathtaking wall mural using dried flower heads, stems, and leaves arranged in sunbursts, mandalas, or free-flowing meadow designs. Secure the arrangement behind glass panels or coat with resin to preserve the delicate blooms. This statement piece will bring the outdoors in and serve as a true conversation starter.
2. Dried Flower Shadow Boxes
Design layered 3D shadow boxes filled with dried flowers, miniature wooden cutouts, or fabric pieces to create tiny landscapes, seasonal scenes, or even family crests. The dimensional effect draws the eye and adds depth to any room.
3. Pressed Flower Window Art
Sandwich pressed flowers between two glass panes or clear acrylic sheets and suspend them in a sunny window. These floral sun-catchers add soft, natural color and a light, airy vibe to kitchens, sunrooms, or porches.
4. Dried Flower Candle Holders
Use Mod Podge or epoxy to attach dried petals and leaves onto glass jars, vases, or hurricane lanterns. When lit from within, these candle holders cast beautiful, organic shadows that create a cozy, romantic atmosphere.
5. Embroidered & Dried Flower Hoop Art
Combine fabric art and botanicals by embroidering simple designs (wreaths, initials, wildflowers) on linen and attaching clusters of dried flowers as embellishments. This mixed-media art brings softness and texture to walls or shelves.
6. Dried Flower Mobile or Chandelier
Suspend dried blooms from a metal or wooden hoop using fine thread or fishing line. It’s primarily made from various dried flowers and grasses in soft, natural tones. The entire arrangement dangles gracefully from a natural wooden driftwood hoop, providing a rustic and organic foundation. This piece brings a serene and whimsical touch to any space, perfectly embodying a relaxed, nature-inspired aesthetic.
7. Dried Flower Bookmarks
Seal pressed flowers between laminating sheets or clear contact paper, then trim into bookmark shapes. Add hand-lettered quotes or names with permanent ink for a personal, thoughtful gift.
8. Decoupage Furniture Accents
Transform plain furniture into heirloom-worthy pieces by decoupaging dried flowers onto table tops, dresser drawers, or cabinet doors. By carefully adhering vibrant dried flowers – perhaps cheerful wildflowers, delicate lavender, or bold rose petals – directly onto its surface, each bloom becomes an embedded jewel. The clear decoupage medium seals them in, creating a smooth, durable finish that allows the natural beauty and texture of the flowers to truly shine. This unexpected touch turns a simple piece of furniture into a unique, one-of-a-kind statement piece that truly brings the garden’s enduring charm indoors.
9. Floral-Covered Clay or Terracotta Pots
Press dried blooms into air-dry clay (before it hardens) or adhere them onto terracotta pots using decoupage techniques. This terracotta planter is decorated with dried daisies, pansies, and wildflowers, carefully applied using decoupage techniques. The flowers add a touch of texture and natural charm to the pot’s rustic surface. A clear matte sealer gives it a refined, handcrafted finish. It’s the perfect accent for herbs or succulents, bringing subtle cottage style to any space.
10. Dried Flower Resin Coasters & Trays
Imagine sipping your morning coffee with a tiny piece of nature captured beneath your mug. By embedding delicate dried blooms like miniature roses, forget-me-nots, or lacy fern fronds into clear epoxy resin, you can create stunning and functional coasters and trays. The transparency of the resin allows the intricate details of the flowers to shine through, creating a truly unique and conversation-starting piece. These make wonderful handmade gifts too!
11. Framed Pressed Flower Mosaics
Forget single pressed flowers tucked into books – let’s think bigger! Gather a variety of dried petals, leaves, and tiny blooms and arrange them like tiny tiles to create intricate “mosaics” on sturdy cardstock or watercolor paper. You can create abstract designs, geometric patterns, or even try your hand at more representational images. Once your floral masterpiece is complete, frame it in a simple wooden frame to let the natural beauty take center stage.
12. Dried Flower Wall Hangings
Add a touch of organic texture and warmth to your walls with a boho-inspired dried flower wall hanging. Combine the delicate beauty of dried lavender, feathery grasses, or vibrant wildflowers with natural fibers like macrame, simple twine, or rustic jute. Weave small bundles of flowers into macrame knots, create cascading arrangements from a weathered branch, or simply tie clusters of blooms to a piece of driftwood. These wall hangings bring a touch of the outdoors in and perfectly complement a relaxed, natural aesthetic.
13. Enchanted Terrarium Vignettes
Create preserved worlds in glass cloches or open terrariums using dried flowers, moss, tiny branches, and lichen. Add small dried bouquets or individual blooms for color and charm. These vignettes bring fairytale magic to any shelf or tabletop. Think beyond your usual succulents and create tiny, preserved worlds within glass cloches or open terrariums using dried flowers. Layer moss, small lichen-covered branches, delicate dried ferns, and even tiny dried mushrooms to create a whimsical landscape. Nestle miniature dried flower bouquets or individual blooms amongst the foliage to add pops of color and charm. These enchanted vignettes bring a touch of fairytale magic to any shelf, mantel, or tabletop.
14. Upcycled Bottle Vases with Dried Flower Adornments
Upcycle glass bottles into vases by painting them soft matte colors and adorning them with glued clusters of dried flowers or a tiny wreath around the neck. Perfect for farmhouse-style charm.
15. Potpourri Bowls & Sachets
Elevate the traditional potpourri experience by focusing on both fragrance and visual appeal. Instead of just a mix of dried bits, curate a collection of large, beautiful dried flower heads like hydrangeas or peonies alongside textured elements like dried citrus slices, cinnamon sticks, and fragrant seed pods. Tuck in smaller, colorful dried blooms and then add your favorite essential oils. Display this visually stunning potpourri in rustic wooden bowls, woven baskets, or create delicate linen sachets tied with natural twine for a touch of understated elegance.
16. Dried Flower Embedded Candles
For a truly unique and delicate touch, try embedding small, flat dried flowers onto the exterior of unscented pillar candles. Gently press flowers like pansies, violas, or delicate leaves onto the warm (but not hot!) wax as it begins to cool. You can also experiment with carefully layering dried petals within the wax as you pour for a subtle, natural detail that will be revealed as the candle burns. Always exercise caution when working with heat and ensure the flowers are securely attached.
17. Seed Paper Art with Deconstructed Blooms
Grind dried petals into pulp, mix with recycled paper pulp, and create handmade seed paper. Use for drawing, cards, or mixed-media art — a beautiful, eco-friendly project.
18. Rustic Dried Flower Garlands & Wreaths
Move beyond the traditional circular wreath and explore more free-flowing and organic designs. Create long, whimsical garlands to drape across your mantelpiece or frame a doorway using a mix of dried hydrangeas, eucalyptus branches, delicate wildflowers, and even dried grasses. For wreaths, experiment with asymmetrical arrangements, incorporating unexpected elements like dried berries, seed pods, or fluffy cotton bolls. These rustic creations bring a touch of natural beauty and texture to any space.
19. Shadow Box Keepsakes with Dried Flower Stories
Turn your dried flowers into cherished memories by creating a narrative within a shadow box. Arrange dried blooms from a special occasion like a wedding bouquet or flowers from a beloved garden alongside other small mementos that tell a story – perhaps a vintage button, a handwritten letter fragment, or a tiny photograph. This transforms your dried flowers into tangible reminders of meaningful moments and creates a unique piece of personalized art to display and treasure.
20. Floral-Embedded Glass Ornaments
Create unique keepsake ornaments by embedding dried flowers inside clear glass or plastic ornament balls. Arrange tiny pressed blooms like forget-me-nots, baby’s breath, or small daisies inside the globe for a delicate, floating effect. These can be displayed year-round as sun catchers or used as holiday decorations that capture a bit of nature’s beauty in every season.
Tips for Success
- Best flowers to dry: Try lavender, roses, daisies, hydrangea, or statice for vibrant colors and good durability.
- Drying methods: Air-dry upside down in bundles, press between books, or use silica gel for more delicate blooms.
- Add texture: Pair dried flowers with twine, wood, burlap, or linen for that warm, cozy look that blends farmhouse with modern.
