To Make Wax Flowers

The following articles will be required to
commence wax work: two pounds White Wax, one-fourth pound Hair Wire,
one bottle Carmine, one Ultramarine Blue, one bottle Chrome Yellow, two
bottles Chrome Green, No. 1, two bottles Chrome Green No. 2, one bottle
each of Rose Pink, Royal Purple, Scarlet Powder and Balsam Fir, two
dozen sheets White Wax. This will do to begin with. Now have a clean
tin dish, and pour therein a quart or two of water; then put in about
one pound of the White Wax, and let it boil. When cool enough, so the
bubbles will not form on top, it is ready to sheet, which is done as
follows: Take half a window pane, 7x9, and after having washed it clean
dip into a dish containing weak soap-suds; then dip into the Wax, and
draw out steadily, and plunge it into the suds, when the sheet will
readily come off. Lay it on a cloth or clean paper to dry. Proceed in
like manner until you have enough of the white; then add enough of the
green powder to make a bright color, and heat and stir thoroughly until
the color is evenly distributed, then proceed as for sheeting white
wax. The other colors are rubbed into the leaves after they are cut
out, rubbing light or heavy according to shade.

For patterns you can use any natural leaf, forming the creases in wax
with thumb nail or needle. To put the flowers together, or the leaves
on the stem, hold in the hand until warm enough to stick. If the
sheeted wax is to be used in summer, put in a little Balsam of Fir to
make it hard. If for winter, none will be required.

You can make many flowers without a teacher, but one to assist in the
commencement would be a great help, though the most particular thing
about it is to get the wax sheeted. The materials I have suggested can
be procured at any drug store, and will cost from $3.00 to $4.50.

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