Joanna Gaines's latest home decor craft is perfect for fall – experts love its nature-inspired colors

Bring the warming colors of fall into your home with this simple craft

Joanna Gaines
(Image credit: Getty Images | Left, Rob Kim | Right, Anadolu Agency)

Interior designer and co-founder of lifestyle brand Magnolia Joanna Gaines is inspiring us with creative fall craft ideas, more specifically flower pressing.

Taking to Instagram over the weekend, the renowned designer shared a snapshot of a stunning fall-inspired collection of flowers that were in the process of being pressed, which taps into a key floral trend for 2023. 

Won over by the warming shades of muted orange and burgundy in the florals, we're feeling inspired to get creative with flower pressing for fall. Knowing how to press flowers is a fairly straightforward process, but we turned to the flower experts to find out more about this fall craft. 

'Flower pressing can make some beautiful home-crafted pieces and using fall flowers can make a colorful display,' explains Georgina O'Grady, managing director at Evergreen. 

'Good fall flower options include asters, violas, sunflowers, marigolds and zinnias. Once you have picked your flowers, remove any excess foliage that might cause the flowers to rot during pressing,' she continues to explain. 

Headshot of Georgina O'Grady
Georgina O'Grady

Georgina O'Grady is a professional in the field of interior and exterior landscaping. As Manging Director at Evergreen, she has helped the company become a renowned name in the industry, and has worked alongside world-renowned interior designers on many prestigious projects.

Flower specialist at Atlas Flowers Kate Blott suggests that opting for fall colors that reflect the warming and earthy tones associated with the autumnal months is a key step: 'For fall, opting for warm-toned flowers such as burnt orange, mustard yellow, and muted pink will help to bring the colors you expect to see in nature at this time of year into your home.'

For best results, Blott explains that 'flowers with fewer layers of petals work best for pressing,' whilst you can also mix things up and 'consider also pressing some herbs and grasses for variation in your displays.'

Kate Blott
Kate Blott

Kate works with a wide range of dried, preserved, and faux flowers within her role as a Creative Marketing Manager at Atlas Flowers Ltd. Founded in 2006, Atlas Flowers works with many growers and factories internationally to source the best quality dried, preserved, fresh, and faux products.

For a new spin on flower pressing, you can instead opt to use previously dried flowers, to begin with rather than fresh, which Blott explains gives a unique look: 'Already-dried flowers retain some of their contours while fresh flowers become much flatter. Fresh flowers flatten as their natural moisture is wicked away, but a dry flower has already set in its dried state, meaning a completely flattened result isn’t achievable.'

The best bit about flower pressing for fall? It's definitely the longevity: pressed flowers look great as home decor for years to come, as Blott explains: 'Unlike standard dried flowers that may be exposed to dirt, damp and harsh light, pressed flowers are often kept tucked away inside journals or behind glass. This will extend their lifespan.'

'As with all dried floral products, the level of care they are given will directly affect how long they last and look their best,' Blott concludes.


Feeling inspired to get creative this fall? We've rounded up 13 creative fall craft ideas to help transform your home this cozy season. 

Paint & Color Editor

Emily is H&G's Paint & Color Editor, covering all things color across interior design and home decor. She joined the team in the summer of 2023, having studied Fashion Communication at university before working in various creative roles ahead of making the leap into interiors. She lives in Glasgow where she loves admiring the city's architecture, frequenting her favorite coffee spots, and sourcing vintage furniture for her tenement apartment. Emily's interior style is inspired by the simplicity of midcentury design, mixed with more playful modern pieces that inject small (but bold) doses of color.