4 OX FORMING WAX MODELS OF FLOWERS. 



laburnum flower, the pink, &c. In some of these, however, there are 

 several florets ; each must be made separately, and the thin wires of 

 each tied together by green silk. 



The petals of the ranunculus and tulip are hollow, so they are in 

 the rose, and usually in the crocus ; their shape is given to them easily 

 by the finger thus — hold the wax petal in the hand till it is pliable, 

 then roll the central part of it with the sealing-wax end of the wire 

 pin, which will, of course, expand it somewhat, then press it with the 

 point of the fingers into the hollow of the hand, which will make it 

 of the requisite concave form. Sometimes the petals should appear 

 rough and corrugated, as in the holyoak, the gum-cistus, and the red 

 poppy ; roll it well so as to be very thin and warm, then crumple it 

 up somewhat by the hand, and open it out into its proper form again, 

 •when, if done well, it will be ready for use. If a part of the flower 

 resembles a cup, as the centre of the narcissus, it must be formed with 

 the pin as before, the piece of wax being of the size of the cup when 

 cut open. In making a convolvulus, it would be in vain to attempt 

 forming it out of a round or flat piece of wax ; the original flower 

 must be cut down on one side, then laid out to flatten, the wax cut of 

 the proper size, and folded carefully over a mould which has been 

 soaking in milk-warm water, the mould previously made by pouring 

 plaster of Paris carefully into a real flower of the same species. 

 Some persons make the convolvulus flower in five sections, and 

 putting these on the mould so that the edges unite, join them together 

 very carefully, and hide the joint on the inside of the flower by 

 placing over them five strips of wax differently coloured, to imitate 

 the. rays seen upon the disc. 



Dahlias, chrysanthemums, and other flowers that are quilled, that 

 is, have their petals bent in at the edges, must have each separate 

 petal rolled by one of the sealing-wax knobs as for other things, and 

 while warm, the edges bent or rolled up with the fingers into proper 

 shape. 



A large dahlia requires about seven sheets of wax, and requires 

 petals of five or six sizes for different parts of the flower, and in the 

 centre of it a lump of green wax, made of the refuse pieces, of about 

 half an inch diameter. Roses, and other delicately-tinted flowers, are 

 mostly made of white wax tinted by powder colours, put on with a 

 short-haire'l, rather hard brush, such as is used for oriental tinting. 



