Cut the flowers in the late summer or early fall (generally August or later depending on the area you live). To make a basket of hydrangeas, simply arrange the dried flowers in one of your favorite baskets. Hairspray helps hold the flower firm and prevents wilting for an additional few days (as long as you consistantly reapply it). You might also spray the flowers with hairspray if you don't want to color the blooms. Of course, you won’t retain the same vivid color that you have on the plant while it’s growing in the garden. Hold a can of hairspray, whether its aerosol or another type, and aim it about 5 inches from the blossoms of the flowers. There are numerous arrangements and crafts you can make with beautiful dried hydrangeas. The one on the left is too deep. But don’t wait too long, either, when flowers are completely brown. How to Preserve Flowers with Hairspray. Learn the secret for drying hydrangeas that will last for a long time. Preserving flowers for crafts and and arrangements is easy to accomplish when you use hairspray. Spray paint your hydrangeas now! Use Your Dried Hydrangeas. Then crush the ends of the stems with a hammer. It is difficult to dust dried flowers so I usually throw my old flowers out. One simple method for drying hydrangeas is water drying. First, when should you cut hydrangeas to dry them? Experiment with harvesting from August through October. It really helps to keep them intact. Most brands of hair spray are not UV proof, which means the sun will fade colors from your flowers.If you want the flowers to keep looking fresh, choose a different sealant. When To Cut. How to Dry Hydrangeas: A step by step guide to drying hydrangeas for fall decorating. (A few brown petals aren’t a problem. Spray several light layers of hair spray over the petals to form a moisture proof seal. Drying hydrangeas using this method will keep the color more vibrant and the heads less fragile than air drying. I enjoy preserving them so I can enjoy them in inside during the winter. Are you growing hydrangeas? Spray: Once your hydrangeas are fully dried, spray them down with aerosol hairspray (sorry, aerosol spray just works better than the pump spray kind...it just does). You can also add a drop or two of bleach to keep the water clear. Using hairspray at the end of the process helps to protect the flowers from the effects of some natural elements and to preserve their color.