In two recent blogs, we shared tips on framing and arranging pressed flowers to create stunning floral art. We're continuing this theme with this blog—and more to come—exploring even more creative ways to incorporate pressed flowers into your crafts!

If you love nature-inspired art, experimenting with cyanotype paper is a must! This age-old photographic printing technique transforms dried flowers and leaves into pretty blue-and-white botanical prints. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of making your own cyanotype botanical prints using dried flowers. (Stay tuned for a future blog post on creating photo-like cyanotype prints!)

What is Cyanotype Paper?

Cyanotype paper is a specially treated paper that undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to sunlight, resulting in beautiful deep-blue prints. This process, also known as sun or solar printing, was originally developed in the 19th century and was used for blueprints in engineering and architecture. Today, artists and crafters use cyanotype paper to create unique nature-inspired artwork.

Materials You’ll Need:

• Cyanotype paper
• Dried flowers, leaves, or other botanical elements
• A flat sheet of glass or acrylic (optional, but helps flatten objects for sharp prints)
• Running water, or a tray or basin filled with water, for rinsing
• Sunlight (you can also use a UV light source)
• A drying rack or paper towels

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Cyanotype Botanical Prints

Choose a dimly lit area to work in before exposing the paper to sunlight. Lay out your dried flowers and leaves, arranging them on the cyanotype paper in a way that creates a visually appealing design.  We suggest using a rigid piece of cardboard as a base. 

To create crisp, well-defined prints, you can use a sheet of glass or acrylic to gently press down the elements of your arrangement.

Take your arrangement outside and place it in direct sunlight.  The exposure time depends on the intensity of the light.  We suggest starting with 4 minutes, then increasing by 1 minute increments as needed.  Watch as the paper changes from its original color to a lighter shade—this signals that the exposure process is complete.  (Avoid casting shadows on the paper during this step.) 

Carefully remove your dried flowers and rinse the paper in running water or a tray of water for 1-2 minutes to wash away the unexposed chemicals. As you rinse, the silhouettes of your botanical arrangement will be revealed.

Place your print on a drying rack or paper towels to air dry. Once dry, we suggest pressing your print in a book to flatten.  Enjoy your beautifully detailed botanical print, perfect for framing, scrapbooking, cards, and other crafts!

Tips for Stunning Cyanotype Prints:

• Use delicate dried flowers for intricate, lace-like prints.
• Experiment with overlapping botanicals to create layers and depth.
• Try different exposure times for varying shades of blue.

Cyanotype printing is a magical way to capture the beauty of nature, turning delicate dried flowers into lasting art. Check out our supply of cyanotype paper and pressed flowers in the shop. 

Until our next post, happy sun printing!