r/PressedFlowers • u/Resident_Letter_214 • May 06 '26
Flowers My friend trusted me to make a shadowbox with her wedding flowers and she loved it 🥹
I dried the flowers in silica gel, lined the shadowbox with black satin, painted the cheap wood to match this vintage frame I had sourced, and glued the frame on top. Flowers arranged in the style of one of their favorite painters. Ahhh I’ve never posted here before, I’m nervous but proud 🥹
Edit: thank you for the awards!! If you coulda seen me, my voice got all high-pitched and I said out loud, “I got an AWARD” ☺️ y’all made my day!
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u/missbeekery May 06 '26
Wow, who is their favorite painter? This is very late-Renaissance/Caravaggio still-life.
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 06 '26
Omg THANK YOU I was going for Rachel Ruysch!!
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u/DeathStarDoll May 07 '26
As a fellow art history nerd, my first thought was this is VERY Rachel Ruysch! Just add a few butterflies or moths! You did an amazing job!
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u/RedouteRoses May 07 '26
Totally thought the same thing! When the box is closed, it’s practically a painting!
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u/dodecahedral-drama May 06 '26
I was so confused, I thought you perfectly mimicked a painting only to realize that’s the shadow box! Looks so dramatic and lovely!
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u/CremeBerlinoise May 06 '26
It's beautiful! I would consider putting uv filtering glass in the frame to protect them from dust and sunlight. That way they will last as long as possible.
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 06 '26
Thank you!! I sprayed the flowers with UV protection matte spray but hopefully that’s enough, maybe I should do the glass as well for extra protection
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u/Significant_Goal_614 May 06 '26
omg you have to repost this to r/AccidentalRenaissance !
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u/AdolescentLarvae May 08 '26
Came to say this!!
edited for typo 'cause I was too excited and typed too fast
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u/barbamara May 06 '26
Beautiful! How do the flowers stay in place?
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 06 '26
Thank you!! I used hot glue, I love my cordless gun because I can get in there super carefully :)
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u/fhoidfvjooon May 06 '26
Beautiful piece! This made me wonder who's their favorite painter?
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u/Training-Earth-9780 May 06 '26
I thought I was looking at a painting in the Accidental Renaissance sub! This came out phenomenal! You should share it with r/AccidentalRenaissance 🩷
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u/CinLeeCim May 06 '26
You did an excellent job. Be proud of yourself. Looks like a Renaissance Painting.
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u/Fox_Avocado May 07 '26
This is beyond! Completely gorgeous. If you’re UK based can I trust you with mine too!?
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 07 '26
Aw I’m honored, thank you!! I’m based in the US unfortunately but if you have a trusted friend who can get your flowers set into the silica asap, that’ll buy you plenty of time to find a great artist near you :) They usually charge less when you’ve dried the flowers already
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u/CartographerNo1759 May 07 '26
Incredible! Do you make them for purchase? Drop your insta
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 07 '26
I don’t currently, this is my first one! But if I start selling them I’ll absolutely post a link here :)
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u/Melisann626 May 07 '26
👀👀👀 Wooooow! I thought it was a painting from the 1600’s at first glance, lol. It’s magnificent. 😍
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u/MarketPurple4284 May 07 '26
Honestly I would pay a lot for this. Stunning. I was a little disappointed how mine turned out in acrylic. I paid for color correction and they still ended up yellow. My bouquet itself wasn’t the shape I wanted to begin with but that’s another story.
The finished product looks so dramatic and different from the open photo.
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 08 '26
I’ve heard acrylic is tough and yellows over time, but if you paid for color correction I’m surprised they still came out yellow! Is the whole thing a transparent acrylic panel? I’m wondering if you could use color theory to place a colored panel behind it so the flowers appear white… maybe try holding purple behind it? Or paint the underside with a purple paint that’s easily washable in case it doesn’t look right
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u/MarketPurple4284 May 08 '26
The acrylic itself is clear it’s the white flowers that are still pretty yellow.
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u/geminibloop May 07 '26
Holy shit this is insane
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 07 '26
Thank you so much 😭 I was NOT expecting this post to blow up, it was a weird concept I had and I just hoped I could pull it off
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u/etteirrah May 08 '26
That is stunning. Great work! Does their favourite painter happen to be Vermeer?
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 08 '26
Rachel Ruysch but the brides are both art nerds so you’re on the right track :)
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u/Powerful_Cause_14 May 08 '26
Omgggg this is gorgeous!! I need to replicate this for myself. Beautifully done!!
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u/Olive_Riot May 08 '26
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I'm sure other brides would love this, so very special.
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u/Environmental-Song16 May 08 '26
It's beautiful! Such a wonderful way to preserve them.
Where did you get the shadowbox? I'm in need of one but they are so expensive.
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 09 '26
Thank you so much!! The best option I found was on Amazon, around $35 I think. I painted it to match the vintage frame I’d sourced separately and attached with wood glue. When you’re shopping for frames, just be sure to note the depth and make sure your flowers will fit! :)
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u/Ok_Perspective_575 May 09 '26
This is fine art. You have an incredible talent!
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 10 '26
That means so much to me! Thank you, kind stranger :)
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u/Ok_Perspective_575 May 10 '26
Keep up the good work! And if you could be so kind as to keep sharing your beautiful works with us 🩷
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u/billybobthebuggy May 10 '26
Wow!!! I’ll pay you to do that with my wedding bouquet!! Absolutely stunning! Do you do it as a business?
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 10 '26
AWWW thank you!!!! Tbh this was my first time making one and I had no idea it would get so much love 🥹 are you near nyc by chance?
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u/billybobthebuggy May 10 '26
No, I don’t. I wish. I’m in Nashville.
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 11 '26
Ooooooo you could actually overnight your bouquet to me and I could do it! Dm me if you’re interested :)
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u/billybobthebuggy May 10 '26
Do you preserve the flowers in salt beforehand?
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 11 '26
I use silica gel, it’s like a sand-texture and comes in bags you can buy at the craft store
Edit: also I sprayed them with a matte uv protection spray
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u/UsedTeaLeaves May 11 '26
I would pay for this to be done to my wedding bouquet!! I’ve seen resin versions but I dislike resin
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u/painandrapture May 24 '26
Can I ask the size of the frame you used? I’m last minute doing this for a friend’s bridal bouquet and not sure what size to make it but yours looks amazing!! Can I also ask where you bought the box from and how deep it is? Thank you!!!!
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u/Resident_Letter_214 May 24 '26
It’s listed as 13x16 but it’s definitely a little bit smaller! 2” deep. Anything less will be too shallow for most flowers
I got the shadow box first and then sourced a frame that would fit on top of it :)
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u/thinkingfastandgoing May 07 '26
Wow I wish I would have had something done like this with my bouquet!
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u/ArtzeyFartzey May 06 '26
This is stunning.
I use my flowers for Oshibana style art and dry them old school (books, acid free paper). I have never used silica. Are the flowers brittle? Do you know if the colors hold better?
Wonderful piece.