What Are the Different Uses for Dried Roses?

Dried roses are beautiful in dried floral arrangements. They can be added to food as a decorative and edible accent, and used as an ingredient in a facial mask. The more fragrant varieties retain their aroma after drying, making dried roses a popular choice for scented water, sachets, and potpourri. Dried rose petals are sometimes scattered for romantic events such as weddings. Crafts are another popular use for dried roses, and they can even be made into beads for jewelry.

Rose petals add a touch of elegance to salads, cakes, and other recipes. They can be glazed with sugar to make candy. A cake ornamented with rose petals, or a tin of glazed rose candies, will make a thoughtful, homemade gift. Rose petals contain vitamins A, B complex, C, D, and E. They are also a source of bioflavonoids, iron, and calcium, making them nutritious as well as decorative and fragrant.

Dried roses can be added to bowls of potpourri, and their scent can be renewed occasionally with a drop or two of rose oil. They can be added to sachets and placed in a closet or drawer. Dried roses can be used to make many other crafts as well.

When making candles, rose petals can be pressed into the soft wax. The petals can be used to make greeting cards and stationery. Dried roses are a beautiful accent for centerpieces, wreaths, and wall hangings, and they can be glued onto lampshades and other objects for a country cottage look.

A facial mask using dried roses can be a soothing treatment for acne, since rose petals have antiseptic properties. The mask can be made using dried rose petals, oatmeal, honey, and water. Some recipes add other ingredients, such as orange peel, milk, or flour.

Roses are traditionally associated with romance. The petals are sometimes scattered around the table for a romantic dinner, or scattered on bed linens to set the stage for a romantic tryst. A flower girl in a wedding will often scatter rose petals to create a floral path for the bride.

When using dried roses to make beads, popularly used to make rosaries, they won’t have the fragrance of fresh roses, but they will make nice beads. The most fragrant red roses make the best beads, but any rose can be used for this purpose. In order to create rose beads, the roses must be simmered until they turn into a pulp. A search of the Internet will yield a number of rose bead recipes.