CraftPals

Waxing flowers




Supplies:
6 medium - pink roses
6 medium - yellow roses
4 pink rosebuds
3 bricks - 3/4 lb. household paraffin wax
16 ounce can
1 saucepan
Knife
Cutting Board
Chopstick
Ice Water
Pruning Shears
Waxed paper
2 empty cereal boxes
Tongs
1. To wax the roses, set up a double broiler and cut 3 paraffin bricks into 1/2" pieces.
Drip 2/3's of the pieces into the can and set can in saucepan. Add water until half full.

2. Lay sheet of waxed paper on counter.

3. clip rose and bud stems 6" below calyx and set in jar of water. Clip and set aside 4-6 three leaf clusters.

4. Use chopstick to stir paraffin until liquid. Drop in more paraffin with tongs and melt.

5. Hold rose upside down by stem and dip it at a slight angle into the warm wax, without touching the rose to the can and hold it in the wax for 2-3 seconds. Remove immediately and dip it into a bowl of cold water and lift out.

6. Cut stem to 2" and set upright in cereal box stand.

7. When roses have hardened at least 5 minutes, remove from stand and dip each stem into warm wax to seal the cut end. Let roses harden 20 minutes or longer.

8. For wax leaves, hold each cluster with tongs and dip into warm wax. Lay flat on wax paper until hardened or about 3 minutes.

9 Place dried waxed flowers and leaves in an arrangement in your selected basket or place them in the wicker slots for a more decorative approach.

The best roses to use are pink, yellow and red. White roses tend to get faded after several hours.
The roses will last from 7 to 14 days.


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