Bring the beauty of one-of-a-kind flowers into your home with this unique craft.

Tools and Materials
Double boiler
Scissors
Spoon
Toothpick
Tweezers
Floral foam or tray lined with parchment paper
Fresh flowers
Paraffin wax
Thermometer
Wet oasis
Small cup
Display dome
Rubber band
Small bird and butterfly ornaments
Candle pillar (optional)

Waxed Flowers How-To
1. Collect fresh, firm flowers that are fully opened. Avoid flowers with delicate petals, which wither in wax.

2. Melt a pound of paraffin wax in a double boiler -- one that is wide and deep enough to immerse a flower head.
Warning: Paraffin is extremely flammable. Never melt paraffin directly over a flame.

3. Heat wax to 130 to 150 degrees, maintaining temperature throughout process with a thermometer.
Tip: At a lower temperature, the wax will not coat flowers effectively; a higher temperature will scorch them.

4. Cut stems to at least 2 to 3 inches.

5. Holding each flower by the stem end, dip the flower head completely into wax. Immediately lift out, allowing excess wax to drip into pot.
Tip: If you're waxing a flower with many petal rounds, spoon wax into flower middle to fully cover. For tiny blooms (such as hyacinth), insert a toothpick into the center and dip into wax. You can also use tweezers.

6. Place each blossom's stem in floral foam or on its side on a parchment-paper-lined tray. It will harden completely in 5 minutes.

7. Once the blooms have hardened, wax their stems by holding bloom and dipping stem in wax.

8. To display the blooms, arrange a few flowers at different heights, bundle with a rubber band, and insert into a small cup (we used a mint julep cup) filled with wet oasis. Embellish with bird and butterfly ornaments, and put under a display dome. You may also choose to cut the stems off completely and arrange them around a candle pillar. Waxed flowers should last for about a week.

Resources
Glass display domes can be found at finehomedisplays.com. Mint julep containers, candles and candle bases, and birds and butterfly ornaments are from Jamali Garden Supplies.