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~To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow~
Waxing Flowers
You can capture a flower's beauty and make it last a little longer by waxing your flowers. Waxing fresh flowers is very simple. You'll need:
Fresh, firm flowers
Paraffin wax
A double boiler
Parchment paper
A tray for cooling the flowers
Some flowers that wax well are roses, daisies, paper whites, tulips, hyacinths, stephanotis, and other flowers with a natural waxy coating, or bloom. Try to avoid delicate flowers, like pansies, which wither in hot wax.
Melt two blocks of paraffin wax in top of a double boiler. Paraffin wax is highly flammable. Never melt it directly over flame. Using a wax thermometer to measure temperature, heat the wax to 150 degrees, and maintain temperature throughout the process.
Cut the flower stem to two inches. Holding the flower by the stem end, dip the flower head completely into the wax. Immediately lift it out, allowing excess wax to drip into pot. If you're waxing a flower with many petal rounds, spoon wax into flower middle after dipping to ensure coverage. Let wax harden 30 seconds, then place blossom on its side on a parchment-lined tray to harden completely for about 5 minutes. Once wax has hardened, gently hold the flower head, and dip stem in and out of wax.
Repeat the dipping process on the flower head and stem once more, allowing the wax to fully cool and harden between each step. Be sure to handle waxed flowers carefully to avoid cracking them. Use your waxed flowers for arrangements.
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Waxing Roses
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