Tips and Tricks Tuesday #13 - How to Dry Hydrangeas

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE DETAILS FOR ALL THREE LINKY PARTIES HERE AT THE COTTAGE!

Welcome to the thirteenth Tips & Tricks Tuesday linky party here at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready to see some totally terrific tips?

Then you must go visit Sandra @ Stone Creek Market for festive fall inspiration!

And "chocolate and coffee lovers"–like me–can get their taste buds tickled, with the delectable goodness created from a recipe shared by Jocelyn @ Inside BruCrew Life.

With such an adorable model wearing your creation, anything you make has to look exceptional!

Not only did Jessica @ Craftily Ever After demonstrate her crafting skills with this too-cute headband...

but the reuse of materials for the fabulous flower on her frame project was ingenious.

The Yankee has been after me for some time now to teach him how to sew–only fair, since he taught me how to use power tools.  ; )

And I found the perfect first-timer project from David @ Sam Hober Custom Made Neckties.

Now for this week's Brambleberry Cottage Tip:

There is no shortage of online tips for drying hydrangea blooms.  The Internet is loaded with numerous tried-and-true techniques.

Whether you choose bundling to air dry, the water evaporation method, or silica gel, you're sure to find a method that meets your needs.

I've used the first two with great success–at least where the blooms are concerned.

However, I've encountered a recurring problem with the stems drying in shapes that have made them difficult to use as I intended.

Too many times, I've ended up with stems so severely bent and bowed that my entire arrangement took on a rather deformed appearance.

Not what I was after! 

I've learned that cutting the stems extra long and keeping them bound tightly in several places, while they dry, produces the straight stems I so desire for my projects.

I begin by arranging the heads in a staggered fashion–a somewhat mounded shape–leaving the stems loose closer to the tops.

This aids in drying and builds into the drying process the overall shape I desire for the end result.

Note in the image above, left unbound, the lower parts of the stems curl and bend naturally as they shrink and dry.

But, by keeping the stems bound tightly together–in strategic places–once the hydrangeas are dry, I'll be able to remove the binding, cut off the lower portions and be blessed with nice straight stems for my flower arrangements.