The Easiest Way to Dry Hydrangeas

Here is my easy method for drying hydrangeas that keep the shape and color of the flowers intact! I’ll also show you ways to use dried hydrangeas to decorate for the Fall. (Updated 8.5.22)

How to Dry Hydrangeas & Keep the Shape

I’ve tried a few different ways of drying hydrangeas in the past but this was the best and also the easiest.

A sure sign that Autumn is on the horizon is when your hydrangea blossoms start to change. You’ll notice that the once velvety flowers start taking on a more papery feel and the colors begin to change(my blooms were bright blue before); this is the perfect time to cut some stalks to dry out.

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Cut The Hydrangea Flowers From the Shrub

The first thing to do when you want to dry hydrangeas is to find some nice blooms on your shrub and cut them with about 12″ or more of the stalk. This was an exceptional year for my flowers and they seem even prettier than they normally do.

Remove the Leaves From the Stems

Next, you want to remove all the leaves from your stems. Just pull them gently off.

Grab a Large Vase or Container

Now, here’s the easiest part- add 2 inches of water to a large vase or container and add your hydrangeas, to it, that’s it!

I place the stalks in the vase with a little space between them so that when they are dry you can remove them easily without breaking the petals. It’s better to spread out the hydrangeas in a couple of vases than to crowd them all into one.

You’ll also want to keep them away from direct sunlight.

As the water evaporates your blooms will start drying out and will hold their shape beautifully. You will be amazed at how pretty the petals look when they are completely dried out!

Your hydrangeas will hold their shape and color; the ones I did last year had started to fade over the summer so I tossed them and replaced them with the new batch today.

what can I do with dried hydrangeas?

Dried hydrangeas look so pretty combined with traditional Fall decor in your home they also look beautiful displayed on their own! Here are some of the ways I have used hydrangeas that I have dried from my garden throughout my home.

Make a Dried Hydrangea Flower Arrangement

I used a few small bunches of dried hydrangeas and added them to a shallow bowl that I DIY’d out of nautical craft rope.

Use Dried Hydrangeas in a Wreath

Another idea for your dried hydrangeas is to use them in wreaths for Fall. I gathered Fall flowers from my garden and put together a Fall garden wreath and hung it on my front porch,

One really quick and easy wreath I made with dried hydrangeas was this square-shaped one. Using a Dollar Tree square wreath form I hot glued mini pumpkins and hydrangeas around the frame. It took no time at all to make this elegant Fall wreath.

Use Dried Hydrangeas in a Garland

One simple garland idea was draping a fern garland over the top of a mirror and then tucking in pieces of hydrangea throughout the garland for a simple cottage look.

Last Fall I made a very pretty garland to hang in my kitchen. I used a plain magnolia garland as the base and added dried hydrangeas, orange slice & berry picks, & eucalyptus.

*Remember to keep the dried hydrangeas out of direct sunlight, the colors will start to fade quickly.*

Let me know how yours come out!

More Fall Ideas…

15 Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Celebration

Easy DIY Fall Bowl Filler

Making a Fall Garden Wreath

Fall Decorating with Pumpkins on the Porch