Flower Pressing Kit: 6 Picks to Turn Walks Into Art
A proper press, cyanotype sun paper, and the finishing tools — the calmest craft there is. Real Amazon prices and ratings.
Flower pressing is the rare hobby with zero barrier: the raw material is free, it grows on the walk you were already taking, and the core tool is two boards and four bolts. Collect on Sunday, press for two weeks, and what comes out is flat, papery, and ready to become cards, bookmarks, and framed botanical prints.
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Start with the 10-layer press — under $30, and it handles a whole season of finds. The sun-print paper is the fastest gratification on this page ($10, five-minute exposures), and the finishing tools are for when your pressed collection starts demanding to become gifts.
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The Kit at a Glance
| Category | Top Pick | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Starter Press | MeRGBWLife 11x11" Wooden Flower Press (10 Layers) | $29.89 | 4.6 |
| Best Premium Press | Hardwood 8x10" Flower Press Kit (8 Layers) | $37.97 | 4.6 |
| Best Instant Win | Sun Print Cyanotype Paper Kit (24 Sheets + Acrylic Panel) | $9.95 | 4.5 |
| Best for Mounting | 60-Roll Washi Tape Set (Solid Rainbow Colors) | $12.99 | 4.6 |
| Best Card-Making Tool | CrafTreat Teflon Bone Folder (Large, 2-Pack) | $22.96 | 4.8 |
| Best Layout Aid | Fibonacci Golden Ratio Circle Stencil (6") | $20.95 | 4.6 |
| Complete kit | ≈ $135 | ||
The Press
Books under a brick work — badly. A bolted press applies even pressure across every layer, dries flowers before they brown, and does not sacrifice a dictionary to moisture stains.
MeRGBWLife 11x11" Wooden Flower Press (10 Layers)
Ten layers means a whole walk's haul presses at once instead of queueing. Big 11x11 platens take ferns and full stems, not just petals — the press to buy first.
Hardwood 8x10" Flower Press Kit (8 Layers)
Durable hardwood construction that survives being cranked down hard, year after year. The giftable one — pair it with a frame and you have handed someone a hobby.
Sun & Paper Magic
Cyanotype is the shortcut to feeling like a Victorian botanist: lay your finds on light-sensitive paper, give it five minutes of sun, rinse, and get a white-on-Prussian-blue print.
Sun Print Cyanotype Paper Kit (24 Sheets + Acrylic Panel)
Twenty-four sheets and the acrylic flattening panel for under $10 — the whole process is sun, water, done. Works with fresh finds too, so it is the day-one activity while the press does its two-week thing.
Finish & Frame
Pressed flowers become gifts the moment paper craft meets them: cards, bookmarks, journal spreads. These three tools do the clean-edges, crisp-folds work.
60-Roll Washi Tape Set (Solid Rainbow Colors)
Washi holds pressed stems to cardstock without soaking through or tearing petals on repositioning — the mounting tape this craft actually wants. Sixty colors for $13 covers every palette a garden produces.
CrafTreat Teflon Bone Folder (Large, 2-Pack)
Crisp scored folds are what separate a handmade card from a folded piece of paper. Teflon glides without shining the paper — the one-tool upgrade for anything you plan to give away.
Fibonacci Golden Ratio Circle Stencil (6")
Composition is the hard part of botanical art; a golden-ratio template makes arrangements look intentional instead of scattered. Trace, place, glue — instant "how is yours so nice?"
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to start pressing flowers?
Just a press — a 10-layer wooden press runs under $30, and the flowers are free on any walk. Skip the books-and-bricks method: uneven pressure browns petals and moisture warps the books. Add cyanotype paper ($10) if you want same-day results while the press works.
How long does it take to press flowers?
Two to four weeks in a bolted press, depending on how fleshy the flowers are — thin petals like pansies finish fastest. Change the blotting paper after the first week for better color. Cyanotype sun prints are the impatient alternative: five minutes of sun, one rinse, done.
What is cyanotype / sun print paper?
Light-sensitive paper that turns Prussian blue in sunlight, leaving a white silhouette wherever your flowers, ferns, or found objects blocked the light. A 24-sheet kit costs about $10 and needs only sun and a water rinse — the most beginner-proof photographic process ever invented.
What can I make with pressed flowers?
Cards, bookmarks, framed botanical arrangements, journal spreads, and wedding-bouquet keepsakes are the classics. The finishing kit is cheap: washi tape (~$13) to mount, a bone folder (~$23) for crisp card folds, and a layout stencil to make arrangements look deliberate.
Ready to put it to use?
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