Don't know where you live, but call/check craft stores & hobby stores. If the flower press isn't part of gift, you could use a phone book and/or a stack of newspapers, that latter with a hefty phone book as a weight.

I also have used the trracotta microwave press from Lee Valley and have had great success with it. When I first started I had to experiment with different times after using a handmade wooden press, the microwave press works much faster(but does not hold a lot of flowers at one time.)I use both depending on how many flowers I am pressing.

What is the best way to dry flowers? Answer : As well as which plants are best for each method: glycerin method and instructions Microwave method and instructions silica gel method and instructions air drying method and instructions other methods? What is the best method to press flowers? Answers Info on flower presses Info on pressing in books Other methods? Info on which paper to press with.... blotting paper etc. Info on how to seal pressed flowers, wax laminate etc. What are some of the most popular flowers for drying? Info on how to preserve your dried pressed flowers the longest..... i.e. keep away from light etc.

Cooking2day, I actually purchased the metal grinding parts, Dad built the wooden frame for me and put it together. It works really well but after this year when the apples were so plentiful Elery is threatening to motorize it. (grin) Diane, my apples make perfectly good pies and juice, I make Nancy's Apple Maple Jam and apple butter and sauce and any that is left over are happily consumed by the cows and horses. There is never any left for the deer! islay, apple juice here is usually cooked, which happens when I can it, and the fresh raw stuff is cider. The flavor is just so much different. Here, if it's alcoholic we call it "hard" cider. It's all good, that's for sure. Cathy, the cows didn't have any problems at all eating those apples, did they? And the goats wouldn't eat them? Any goats I've ever met would eat anything, including cigarettes, gloves and pieces of paper. Madonna, I'm intact but we did have a confirmed tornado in my county that did quite a bit of damage, and nearly half a million people in Michigan were without power. The power companies are saying that it might be Friday before everyone is back on and there is a lot of damage, flooding, trees down on houses, roofs are ruined. Most of the schools were closed today for structural problems and there is no power anyway. Wind was measured at 70MPH just south of me. It was a pretty wild night, but I'm fine and my power is on. I've got a couple days worth of yard cleaning to do and we've got some barn repair at the farm but that's minor compared to other damage. Now, definitely get your cider press out of the barn. If it's cast iron it can be sandblasted if it's really bad, or scrubbed clean if it's not. The metal parts for mine cost more than I want to admit, and if you try to buy one new, well, Happy Valley has one like mine but with two slatted baskets for the everyday low price of $930.00. Just the metal parts are $575.00. I see them periodically on Craigslist but they want hundreds of dollars for them. So, definitely dig that out, if for no reason other than they are a very saleable and expensive item, you've got treasure in that old barn! Annie