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How to Dry Hydrangeas for Fall Decorating

How to Dry Hydrangeas: Follow this simple step by step guide for how to dry hydrangea blooms to use in your fall decorating.

close up of faded blue hydrangea bloom

Do you have a favorite flower? Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite flower. I love the delicate blue and purple blooms that grow on the big leaf hydrangea bushes, as well as the showy cone-shaped limelights.

So when the end of summer approaches and the brilliant colors of summer fade, I like to bring these beauties into my home and preserve them. Today I am sharing a simple step by step guide for how to dry hydrangeas and for fall decorating.

close up of faded hydrangea at the end of the summer

When should hydrangeas be cut for drying?

The beautiful hydrangea blooms that I have been fortunate to enjoy all summer long will begin to age as autumn approaches. When hydrangea blooms are past their prime, they will develop a faded, vintage look to them. This is the ideal time to cut the hydrangeas for drying. Drying hydrangeas is so easy and the elegant blooms are perfect for fall decorating.

faded hydrangea blooms with leaves removed on a table

What is the best way to dry hydrangeas?

  • Cut the hydrangea stems about 12 – 15 inches long, depending on your vase. I usually cut the stem at an angle.
  • Remove all of the leaves.
  • Submerge about half of the hydrangea stem in water.
  • Just let the water evaporate over time.
faded hydrangea stems in a mason jar filled halfway with water

There is no need to refill the water. The blooms will become paper-like and delicate.

faded hydrangea blooms ready to be dried

How do you dry hydrangeas and keep their color?

Using this method to dry hydrangea blooms in water will help preserve their vintage, faded color. Another important tip is to not to place too many stems in one container and keep the blooms away from direct sunlight.

So easy! Beautiful clusters of these graceful flowers are perfect for fall decorating. You might enjoy them to on your fall table with lovely leaf stamped tea towels. Or use them in a fall centerpiece.

Do you decorate with hydrangeas? What natural elements do you incorporate into your fall decorating? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Let’s get ready for the arrival of Autumn! Here are some of my favorite fall ideas!

Thank you so much for visiting today! I would love to connect with you on FacebookInstagramPinterest, or here on the blog!

PIn it for later text
close up of faded blue hydrangea

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46 Comments

  1. Jennifer Dunham says:

    Excited to try it! Thanks for the post!

  2. I had no idea this was so easy. I bought my first hydrangea plant this year and as we live too far north I have brought it indoors. I hope it makes it through the winter. They are beautiful and it will be wonderful to have those blossoms. Thank you for the info.

    1. Thanks so much, Leanna. I hope your hydrangea plant does well! They are very hardy. I live in CT and they survive our snowy New England winters. I always look forward to seeing those hydrangea leaves and buds in the spring. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

  3. OMG! I had no idea drying hydrangeas was this easy. Thank you so much for enlightening me! By the way, beautiful hydrangeas!

    Kristy

  4. Julie Briones says:

    Great tips on drying hydrangeas, Lynne! I’ve pinned so I can find it when I grow my own… oh, or get them from Trader Joe’s!

  5. This is amazing. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers so I can’t wait to try it.

    1. I’ll need to do this with some of mine! Thanks for sharing. Happy to be in the hop with you!

  6. Your dried hydrangea are simply gorgeous! I haven’t tried to dry them before! Thanks for the tips!

    1. Thank you so much, Kim! I love using hydrangea blooms for fall decorating! So happy to be hopping with you, my friend!

  7. I love drying hydrangeas. I can’t wait for our Limelights to bloom. I dry a ton every fall.

  8. I love hydrangeas in every season! Spring, summer, Dried for fall or winter. I have limelight hydrangeas growing in my yard. Regular hydrangeas are harder to grow for me.

    Great post!

    Karin

    1. Thank you so much, Karin! Limelights are gorgeous. I planted two limelight bushes last year and can’t wait for them to bloom!

  9. Hydrangeas are my favorite flower too, Lynne. Who knew they’re so easy to dry? I was told to hang them upside down, but that didn’t work very well. I’m definitely going to try your technique this year! They are so pretty to decorate with in the Fall. It was fun hopping with you, my friend! Pinned 🙂

    1. Thank you so much, Rebecca! I can’t wait to hear how this method works for you and see all of your beautiful decor.

  10. Haven’t tried this technique drying flowers, will definitely have to try it out! Thanks for sharing.

  11. Well! How easy was that! I’ve made it too hard all of this time! Thanks for the info! Pinning! Happy 4th!

  12. I can’t to give this a try I have always wanted to dry some of my own. So glad it is super easy as well.

  13. Thank you so much! I love dried hydrangeas but haven’t had them since my Grandma passed a few years back. She was the one who dried all out flowers and I’ve been hesitant to try. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

  14. I love hydrangeas and especially being able to use them all year long. I have a few I purchased a couple years ago and luckily have kept them to use year after year.

  15. Love hydrangeas and now I need to dry some. Thanks for the easy tips. Pinned for later.

  16. OMG, that is so easy! I’ll be trying that with my Annabelles this year!

  17. Thanks for sharing this. I used to dry hydrangeas all the time but I had forgotten that I did that. Thanks for the reminder.

  18. I just love hydrangeas in the summer, but have never thought to dry them to continue to use them in the fall, what a GREAT IDEA!! Thanks for the inspiration

  19. Thanks for sharing your post again. I needed a reminder of how to dry hydrangeas. Look for your post to be featured this week at our Tuesday Turn About Link Party!

    1. Thank you so much, Michelle! I enjoy your link party and am so appreciative of being featured! Thank you!!

  20. Hi! Oh, I envy you and your gorgeous hydrangeas. Those are some of my favorite flowers but where I live it seems to be too hot for them! I’ve just discovered your blog and added you to my blog list so I can follow your posts! Hope you’ll pop in to see me sometimes.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Shiela! I am so glad to meet you and just visited your lovely blog! I am looking forward to following along!

  21. I am so glad I found this post of yours, Lynne! I’ve been meaning to Google how to dry hydrangeas. Thanks for sharing!

  22. Amazing!! How easy is that??! Great tutorial and super helpful photos!!

    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Rachel! I am so glad this is helpful! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

  23. The hydrangeas in your pictures are just gorgeous! How wonderful that you can enjoy them after picking them and then dry them for continued use! Makes me wish I had some growing in my yard! Blessings, Donna

    1. Thanks so much, Donna! I appreciate your kind words! They’re actually very easy to grow in containers too. I had one last summer and it stayed dormant in my garage all winter. This summer it is producing beautiful blooms.

  24. Lynne, I just planted some hydrangeas this year. They never seem to survive my husband’s mowing routine. So this year I had him put them in the ground. I’m hopeful for beautiful dried hydrangeas next season. Thanks for the tips! Pinned.

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