Flowers bring colour and joy during some of the most important events of our lives. They can be used to decorate wedding ceremonies, make milestone birthdays that extra bit special and are a perfect gift on Mother’s Day. But, of course, many people send flowers and floral arrangements to a church or funeral home to express sympathy when a family has lost a loved one.
If a loved one has recently passed away, you may find yourself surrounded by floral arrangements. And, you might be wondering what to do with them after the funeral service has taken place. Some families like to take the flowers and leave them on their loved one’s grave while others like to get creative.
Preserving the Flowers for Decoration
To dry the flowers, gather them into a bunch and loosely tie the stems together. Then, find a well-ventilated spot and hang the flowers upside down for at least 2 weeks. After that, handle the flowers with care as they will have become very brittle during the drying process.
If the flowers survive and remain whole, then you could decorate your home with them in memory of your loved one’s life. Some people choose to use dried flowers as place setters at special family events. For example, sometimes they are placed on a pew at a wedding ceremony. Or, you could place them in the middle of a table during your next family dinner or get together.
Decorating a Photo Frame
If you have a favourite photo of your loved one, then you could get creative by buying a basic photo frame and decorating it with some of the flowers from their funeral service.
Alternatively, you could buy a contemporary photo frame made from 2 pieces of glass that are pressed together and place the flowers inside. But, be extra careful that the flowers don’t touch the photograph of your loved one as they may damage or discolour it.
Create a Piece of Artwork
Perhaps you consider yourself to be particularly artistic when it comes to nature. If so, you may like to dry some of the flowers out from your loved one’s funeral and create a piece of pressed flower artwork.
Your artwork could be as simple and pressing some of the flowers between 2 small pieces of glass or could be a complex arrangement that includes multiple stems that vary in size. You may also like to label your artwork with your loved one’s birth date and death date and then hang it up in your living room in their memory.
Displaying The Flowers in a Shadow Box
Shadow boxes are typically used to hold and display treasured items, including funeral flowers. First of all, if you plan to store your loved one’s flowers in a shadow box, you should dry the flowers for at least 2 weeks before putting the display together. As previously mentioned, the best way to do this is by tying them together and hanging them upside down.
Once dried, simply place them carefully into the box and decorate it in any way you wish. You may also want to include a photo of your loved one so that the box can symbolise the life they once lived.
Create a Fridge/Freezer Magnet
Magnets are great for fridges, freezers, filing cabinets and other metal items around the house. You could either buy a magnet that has a pocket to place your loved one’s flower into or simply buy any magnet of your choice and laminate the flowers to glue onto it. No matter what option you choose, a magnet will keep the flowers close to you whenever you are at home.
For a Less Craft Inclined Person
For many of us, the idea of creating a memorial keepsake out of funeral flowers can just be a little bit too much during times of grief. And this is perfectly normal. Everyone is different and grieve in different ways. If you are less inclined to arts and crafts then here’s a few alternative ideas to ensure your loved one’s flowers don’t go to waste.
- Give away any remaining flowers to friends and relatives following your loved one’s funeral service.
- Donate the flowers to a church, hospital or retirement home.
- Keep them and simply place them in a vase to display at home.
- Place them at another loved one’s graveside.
S. Stibbards & Sons Are Here to Help You
We have been serving our local community since 1867, which means every little detail matters to us just as much as it matters to you. Our close connection with families has allowed us to build and run one of the most well-respected funeral directors in the South-East. If you would like to discuss how you can preserve your loved one’s funeral flowers with S.Stibbards & Sons, please get in touch through our contact page today.
