Waxed Flowers

Collect fresh, firm flowers that are fully opened. Avoid flowers with delicate petals, which wither in wax.

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.

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.

Cut stems to at least 2 to 3 inches.

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.

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.

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

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.