Vintage Flower Press: The Prettiest Vintage Tool for a Library or Craft Room

I spotted this vintage flower press while antiquing at one of my favorite shops, Stone House Antique Center, and couldn’t stop thinking about it. The warm wood, the old hardware, the quiet charm of something that clearly lived a life before me, it felt like the kind of piece that belongs on a library shelf or tucked into a creative corner. I brought it home expecting one thing, then learned it had a very different backstory. And that twist made me love it even more.

What Is a Vintage Flower Press?

A vintage flower press is an old-school tool designed to flatten and dry flowers and foliage so they can be saved, studied, or used in simple projects like framed botanicals and paper crafts. Most vintage and antique flower presses are made with two sturdy wooden boards and layers of paper or cardboard inside, then tightened down with straps or bolts to apply pressure. What makes a vintage flower press so charming is that it isn’t just functional; it’s also beautiful. The worn wood, aged hardware, and utilitarian design give it that collected, lived-in look that feels right at home on a bookshelf, in a library, or in a craft room, even when it’s not being used.

My Vintage Flower Press Find: A Large Wooden Press With Old-School Charm

This large vintage wooden flower press is much bigger than the modern craft presses you usually see, which is part of what made me stop in my tracks. It’s a substantial wooden piece with simple, hardworking hardware, the kind of tool that feels like it belonged in a classroom or tucked into a well-used studio.

I found it while Thrifting with the Gals for $14, and I bought it instantly because I’d never seen anything like it in the wild. Even before I knew the full story behind it, I loved the way it looked, equal parts practical and beautiful, and I knew it would be just as at home on a shelf as it would be with pressed blooms inside.

A vintage flower press can vary in design and materials used. Some may be made of wood, with intricate carvings or engravings on the surface. Others may have metal components or decorative elements. The screws or straps used to secure the wood may also have a vintage design or be made of different materials than modern flower presses. A vintage flower press is also larger in size than the newer ones available today.

The Surprise: My Vintage Flower Press Is Actually a Student Plant Press

Once I got this vintage flower press home, something about it kept nagging at me; it felt too large and too substantial to be the typical craft-style press. So I did what we all do with a mysterious vintage find: I started digging. That’s when I realized I wasn’t looking at a standard flower press at all. It lined up much more closely with a student plant press, the kind used in classrooms to flatten and preserve plant specimens for study. And suddenly the whole thing made sense. The size, the sturdy construction, the no-nonsense design, it wasn’t made for a hobby cart. It was made to be used.

Flower Press vs Plant Press: What’s the Difference?

A flower press is usually thought of as a craft tool, made to press flowers flat for keepsakes, art, and simple projects. A plant press is similar, but it’s built for botany, collecting, flattening, and preserving plant specimens like leaves, stems, and larger blooms in a more structured way. Plant presses are often bigger and more rugged because they were designed to handle bulkier material and repeated use. In my case, that difference is exactly what turned this “vintage flower press” into an unexpected academic find.

The Clue on the Press: Ward’s Natural Science Establishment

Once I looked closely at my vintage flower press, I noticed an important detail stamped right on it: Ward’s Natural Science Establishment, Rochester, New York. That was my first big hint that this wasn’t a typical craft flower press at all. Ward’s has long been connected to science education, supplying classrooms with hands-on learning tools, which instantly clicked for me. Before retiring, I spent years in education sales, first with textbooks and software, then with Apple’s education technology programs, so this little discovery felt strangely personal, like two parts of my life overlapping in one antique find.

Why I Believe This Vintage Flower Press Is a Student Plant Press

The more I researched Ward’s, the more the story lined up. This press makes a lot more sense as a student plant press sold into schools than a consumer flower press made for crafting. The size, the sturdy build, and the practical design all point toward something meant to be used again and again in classrooms and fieldwork. I’ve tried to find another press like this online and haven’t had any luck, which makes it feel even more special, like a true one-of-a-kind vintage find.

What Makes a Ward’s-Style Plant Press Different

I’m not sharing this as a full botanical tutorial, but here’s the simple distinction that helped me make sense of it. A student plant press is built for preserving plant specimens, leaves, stems, and thicker pieces, not just delicate petals. It typically uses wooden boards and layers of cardboard or paper inside, then tightens down with straps or hardware to apply steady pressure. It’s the kind of tool students would use to flatten and dry specimens for study, documentation, and observation, which is exactly why this “vintage flower press” suddenly felt like it belonged to academia.

Vintage Student Plant Press Features That Gave It Away

This press doesn’t have a date stamped on it, so I can’t say its exact age. But a few details make me confident it’s truly vintage.

And honestly, that’s what I love most. The natural wood, the worn-in details, and the evidence of its past life all make this vintage flower press feel like a piece of history, not just a tool.

Shop Vintage Flower Presses

Using My Vintage Flower Press at Home (A Simple Try, Not a Tutorial)

I haven’t pressed a flower since I was a kid, and I’m definitely not the kind of person who has a drawer full of fancy craft supplies. But this vintage flower press makes the whole idea feel simple again. It’s sturdy, satisfying to use, and honestly just so pretty that I want it out where I can see it, not tucked away in a bin.

To try it out, I snipped a few seasonal flowers and leaves, laid them inside in simple layers, tightened it down, and let time do its thing. No big crafting plan, no pressure, just a little experiment for the fun of it and the photos. And that’s what I love most about this piece: it works as a vintage flower press, but it also doubles as decor. When I’m not using it, it lives right in my craft room like a warm, collected little conversation piece.

Explore more of my eclectic-inspired craft room in this Sunroom Craft Room Ideas For An Eclectic Living Room And Craft Room Combo post.

Right now I’m still dabbling with pressed blooms from different seasons, and I’m not quite ready to share the finished projects yet, but here’s a sneak peek of what I’ve been pressing and saving.

Whether you call it a vintage flower press or a student plant press, it’s one of those rare finds that’s both useful and beautiful, and I’m completely smitten.

Want to design and make your own flower press? Discover how my friend, Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse, created her own flower press in her Easy Flower Press: Upcycle Scrap Wood To Preserve Botanicals post.

Vintage Flower Press Thoughts (And What to Explore Next)

This vintage flower press started as a charming mystery in an antique shop, and it ended up being one of my favorite kinds of finds, the kind with beauty, purpose, and a story hiding in plain sight. Whether you think of it as a vintage flower press or a student plant press, it’s proof that old tools can still earn their place in a home today, not just for what they do, but for the character they bring to a shelf, a library corner, or a craft room.

If you love vintage finds with a good backstory, make sure to browse my Thrifting with the Gals posts below for more antique shop discoveries and how I style them at home. And if you’ve ever come across a vintage flower press or plant press, I’d love to hear where you found it and how you use it. Drop a comment below so we can compare notes.

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Dried Flowers Blog Hop: Pressed Blooms and Vintage Decor Inspiration

I’m joining a wonderful group of talented bloggers who are sharing vintage-inspired ideas for decorating with dried flowers and pressed blooms. This hop is hosted by my friend County Road 407, and it’s packed with creative, cozy inspiration for adding a little botanical charm to your home. Scroll through the posts below, you’ll find so many beautiful ways to style dried flowers, vintage vessels, and natural touches in every season.