Creative Ways to Use Your Loved One’s Funeral Flowers

After funerals at Tallahassee, FL funeral homes, the families of those who died face a dilemma in what to do with all the flowers that are sent for the funeral. While more and more people are choosing to request charitable donations in lieu of flowers, some people will always send flowers anyway. The spray that the family buys for the casket and the standing sprays provided by other family members are usually left at the grave site. However, the rest are given to the family to take home.

Since cut flowers die in a few days, and that may spark even more sadness as you see the symbolism of a loved one’s death in the dying flowers, try out some of these options that let you use or preserve the flowers in a remembrance of your loved one.

One creative use is to dry and frame the flowers. The flowers should be dried immediately, using newspaper, flat cardboard, or facial tissue. Next, you’ll press the flowers in paper towels and insert them between the pages of a book. Space the flowers out so they can dry completely. After you’ve got all the flowers in the book, close the book and place a heavy book on top of it.

In about two weeks, the flowers should be dry and can be removed from the book. They are delicate and can break easily, so handle them carefully as you remove them. Arrange them in decorative frames and hang them throughout your home.

You can also use the pressed flowers to make your own greeting cards, by taping them onto the cover or the inside of a blank card.

Flowers are very aromatic, so using the funeral flowers to make your own potpourri is another creative use for them. For this you’ll need the flowers, a baking sheet, parchment paper, and home fragrance oils (you can find many kinds that are not terribly expensive in places like Whole Foods or vitamin/organic stores).

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Process the flowers so that the stems and leaves are in one pile and the petals and flowers are in another. Put the petals and flowers on the baking sheet. Sprinkle 10-15 drops of your preferences of home fragrance oils on the petals and flowers. Place baking sheet in the oven for a minimum of two hours. Add more of the home fragrance oils you chose when the potpourri is ready. When it’s cooled down, put it in a decorative bowl and enjoy.

You can also use funeral flowers to make someone else’s day. Some ideas are to make remembrance bouquets to give to people who also held your loved one close as friends or family. You can also use funeral flowers by arranging them and delivering them to the residents in an assisted living or nursing home facility nearby. This is a good activity to get the whole immediate family involved in because this is good therapy for everyone.

If you’d like other ideas for using funeral flowers at Tallahassee, FL funeral homes, our compassionate and experienced staff at Lifesong Funerals & Cremations can help. You can come to our funeral home at 20 S. Duval St., Quincy, FL 32351, or you can contact us today at (850) 627-1111.