Dried Hydrangeas For Fall Crafting and Decorating

 Would you just look at the mixture of color in this bunch of Endless Summer Hydrangea blossoms? It's like spring, summer, fall and winter all rolled in to one! These minty green, pale blue, soft lavender and deep purply pinks with a few tinged flower petals beg to be enjoyed a little longer don't they? How many of you harvest and create with dried Hydrangea blossoms? 

There's really no big secret to harvesting them. If you cut them in summer when they are still brilliant in color, they will die like any other flower in a week or so. 

To harvest for drying simply wait until late summer to cut them. We northeastern gardeners cut in late August through September before the first frost.

You can dry them in a vase or bucket with a little water in the bottom or no water at all.

 At this point they are ready for crafting, displaying of gift giving!  

I was inspired to make some mini bouquet's to sell in my booth Burlap and Bling after seeing them for sale at The Vintage Bazaar I went too last weekend.

 I have one very large Endless Summer Hydrangea that provided me with enough dried blossoms to create 15 or so mini bouquets ( 3 stems each ). 

 I went outside in the cool of the evening and cut a cooler full of blooms and kept them outside over night. The following morning I went to work creating my bouquets!

 

 Here's how I put my bouquets together.

I gathered three Hydrangea blossoms and removed all the leaves from the stems.

Then I cut the stems even on the bottom.

 I tied them together in three places with jute.

I also included my business post card along with the price tag.

I tucked them into my vintage clam basket ( for sale at my booth for 65.00 ) and packed them into the car with a few other items.

 But, not before I took more photos of them! 

Don't they look pretty with the red backdrop or our shed?

Or how about posed in front of this pair of Antique shutters?

Well, as you can see it's not that difficult to harvest your dried hydrangeas...I've even seen them for sale in Etsy shops!

Next, I'm going to try making a cottage wreath with them and what ever else I can snip out of the garden! 

Do you harvest your hydrangeas? What do you like to do with them?
Please share your projects and tips below!