As a result from being the most sentimental person on the planet (and a person who loves to use hyperboles), I decided to dry some flowers from my anniversary with my boyfriend. He surprised me with a dozen roses and after my heart was done melting, I immediately wondered if it would be possible to save some of the flowers, since I would have to get on an airplane to get back home. My boyfriend and I came up with a temporary fix, wrapping the roses in tin foils and carefully packing them in a corner of my suitcase that seemed the least likely to be squished.

Once back home, it was time to figure out how to properly dry and press flowers. With the help of Martha Stewart’s website, I knew what to do. I found the heaviest and thickest book I owned, some wax paper, and a couple of paperweights to do the trick. I retrieved the flowers from the depths of my suitcase and placed them between the embrace of the wax paper.

Per Martha’s orders, I left the flowers undisturbed for a week, patiently waiting until the flowers would be preserved. The book in the middle of my desk served as a constant reminder of my project. After the seven days, I carefully opened the book to see a few now very flattened and dried flowers. I bought a special frame from Target just for the dried flowers.

I hung the flowers right above my bed, which now reminds me of the sweet gesture my boyfriend did, and that reminder helps when I’m missing him. I felt accomplished after the project was finished, since it was my own work. I could have easily ordered a very similar art piece for an ungodly amount of money from Anthropologie, but my own creation was much more satisfying.

If you're looking for a fun project to do, I highly recommend heading to your local grocery store, picking up your favorite bouquet and wax paper, and making your own pressed flowers. And of course, since she was such a big help to me, here's Martha Stewart's guide to pressing your own flowers.

Happy pressing!