FAQs – Flowers and Lavender
Dried flowers and lavender hints and tips
How to use the flowers, dried lavender, bunches, petal confetti, botanicals and potpourri you buy from Daisy Gifts Ltd.
Did you know director Ruth has had a blog for many years, which covers many floral crafts tips at driedflowercraft.co.uk. Here are some questions we’re often asked in the shop.
Dried lavender questions
- Has your dried lavender got much fragrance? Yes – here’s a link to our most fragrant lavender – just check out those reviews 🙂
- How much lavender do I need? A handful is about 10g (or 15 if you’ve got big hands!), which is enough for one small lavender bag. A kilo is about the size of a football and contains 100 handfuls at 10g each.
- How do I store lavender once I receive it? Just keep it sealed in the bag it came in until you need it. Store it out of direct sunlight and extremes in temperature.
- What if it loses its fragrance? The lavender should keep its fragrance for a few months but if it wanes there are two things you can do: a) If it’s in a lavender bag, give the bag a sharp squeeze which will release more of the naturally fragrant essential oils, or b) If it’s loose, for example in a potpourri bowl, just add a drop or two of pure lavender essential oil to refresh the scent (but beware using near children and animals, polished and synthetic surfaces and textiles).
- Will a lavender bunch fragrance my room? No sorry – they do have a lovely subtle scent which will enhance a bouquet, but it’s not strong enough to perfume a whole room.
Confetti petals questions
- I’m getting married – how far ahead can I order confetti? We recommend not receiving your wedding confetti not more than six weeks before the big day. Dried flower petals can in ideal conditions survive for years, but we know you’d like them in tip top condition! If you’d like to order in advance, let us know (for example by putting a “needed for” date in the comments box at checkout). We’ll make sure the petals are in best condition when we send them out nearer the time.
- Can your petals match my colour scheme? Undoubtedly! We have such a large range that something is bound to match! Have a look at our confetti selection and just contact us if you’d like a sample.
- How much wedding confetti do I need? One handful of petals is about a tenth of a litre, so you’d need one litre for ten people, assuming each person only throws once. Calculations like this are always a little approximate because not everybody joins in!
- I’m planning a big event won’t it be expensive? No! We have some cost-effective bulk options in our Wholesale Confetti dept.
- What should I buy for the best pics? We recommend ivory delphinium petals. This is because the flutter down very slowly, giving everyone a chance to get their camera ready, and being pale they catch the light too.
- We took some fab confetti pics – have you got somewhere we can share them? Ooh we’d love to see them! There are loads of ways to get in touch – email us – tag us on Instagram or share on Facebook!
Questions about our bunch range
- Will a dry bunch last a long time? Yes! They can last for months or longer if displayed out of direct sunlight. Just check them for dust from time to time like you would an ornament. This feature makes them much better value for money than fresh, which can be gone in a week.
- Aren’t dried flowers delicate? No more than fresh, and of course they don’t bruise in the same way.
- Are your stems all packed carefully? Of course – we’ve been in business since 2003 and wouldn’t have made it this far without good packaging! We use sturdy cardboard boxes and lots of paper packaging inside. We have been recently trying to move away from bubble wrap – see our Environmental policy for more info.
- How do I look after them once they’ve arrived? Check out our Care of dried flowers page
- The stems look a bit limp? This is an occasional problem which occurs when the room is very humid or damp. Just hang them up upside down overnight somewhere warm and dry like over a radiator, this should straighten them out!
- I’m looking for something a bit different? Grasses and seed heads make a restrained alternative to florals. If you’re looking for something eye-catching, we have lots of dyed grasses too.
Questions about pressed flowers
- Where do your pressed flowers come from? Most of the pressed flowers we sell are from our own workshops on the South Coast. You can check which of our flowers are British by looking to see if there is a UK in the product name. There are a lot of imported pressed flowers out there as they have become so popular recently – you have to be careful with these as sometimes they are dyed too without saying so. We do sell one or two imported flowers but they’re not dyed.
- What do people use them for? Cardmaking, wedding invitations, resin jewellery, phone covers, temporary tatoos, decoupage, framed artworks…
- My flowers won’t stay put in the picture frame? Try a tiny dot of pva glue on the back of each flower. It dries clear so won’t show.
Potpourri making questions
- I want to use some of your botanicals to make potpourri, where do I start? Check out Ruth’s blog at driedflowercraft.co.uk, there’s loads of info on there, as well as plenty about dry floristry, pressed flowers, choosing confetti and ideas with lavender!
- I’ve heard I need orris root powder to make potpourri, what’s that? It’s just a natural powder you can add to stop any essential oils from evaporating too quickly – for more info see the the blog mentioned above. If you still want some, you can buy orris root powder from us as available.
Read more about our natural botanicals – here are some more links you might find useful:
Choosing lavender grains for your project
About our dried flower bunch range
Shop FAQs – how to use the website