DIY Waxed Amaryllis Bulbs For Christmas Blooms

Indoor flowers at Christmas have always felt so luxurious to me. I can remember flipping through the Harry and David catalog as a child and being amazed at the monthly blooms subscription. Waxed Amaryllis bulbs in particular have always fascinated me. They are completely self-sufficient and don’t need any soil or water to bloom – so neat! Sure, you can buy them already waxed, but at $25+ each, that can get pricey really fast. These make gorgeous neighbor, teacher, and hostess gifts, and can be customized to any colors you like.

Amaryllis Bulb Forcing Schedule

Here’s a handy scheduling tool I created to help you force your Amaryllis to bloom at a particular time.

Choosing Your Amaryllis Bulbs

When you are buying bulbs, it’s important to check and make sure they are healthy. The bulbs should be firm and heavy for their size. There shouldn’t be any mushy or rotten spots. Also try to avoid any bulbs that are already sprouted. This can be tricky. One of mine had started sprouting in the box! I’ve successfully forced sprouted bulbs in water before, but have never tried waxing one. We’ll see how it does!

Waxed Amaryllis Supplies

Here is what you’ll need to wax your Amaryllis bulbs. You can color the wax or add glitter or gilding for some extra sparkle. I don’t have a double boiler, so I made my own using an empty tomato can in a small saucepan. This is great because I can dispose of the can when I’m finished – no mess to clean up!

• Amaryllis Bulbs(I got mine at Tractor Supply, but you can easily get them at WalMart, Home Depot, or Lowes)
• Wax Flakes
• Double Boiler(I made my own using a large tomato can inside a saucepan)
• Faux Gold Leaf(optional – this is what I used)
• Wax Dye(optional, for color)
• Glitter(optional)
• Mod Podge(if you are adding any glitter or gold leaf)
• Serrated knife
• Wax or parchment paper to dry your bulbs on
• Bowl of lukewarm water

Step 1: Soak Your Bulbs

Fill up a bowl of lukewarm water and submerge your Amaryllis bulbs in it. Be careful to only cover about 2/3 of the bulb – you want the pointy top to be out of the water. Let them sit 2-4 hours to hydrate. You don’t want them to stay too long or they’ll rot. When time’s up, remove the bulbs to a paper towel and let them dry about an hour. We don’t want them totally dried out, but also not dripping wet.

Step 2: Remove The Basal Plate

In order to force your bulb to bloom, you have to shock it. We will do this by cutting off its roots, or basal plate. Take a serrated knife and cut them plate off as straight as you can. This will give your bulb a flat sitting surface.

Step 3: Melt Your Wax

Fill up your saucepan about halfway with water. Pour wax flakes into the tin can and submerge it in the water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer until all the wax is melted. If you are coloring your wax, add the dye once all the flakes have melted.

Step 4: Wax Your Amaryllis

Now the fun part! Hold your Amaryllis bulb gently by its crown, and slowly lower it into the wax until it’s submerged just to its neck. Immediately pull it out. We are going to slowly build up coats of wax. I dipped and removed my bulbs 4-5 times before letting them sit for a few minutes on wax paper. Once the wax starts to harden you can redip.

I waxed my bulbs in a rotation – 4-5 dips, set aside, grab the next bulb. I did this until they were all covered in a solid layer of wax. Let dry and harden completely on parchment/wax paper before moving on to the next step.

Step 5: Embellish Your Waxed Amaryllis

Once your bulbs are hardened, now’s the time to add a little sparkle. Brush your amaryllis bulb with a thin layer of Mod Podge and either pour glitter, or apply gold leaf sheets. You’ll definitely want to use a disposable brush for this part – it’s messy!

I chose to use faux gold leaf. It’s a little tricky to work with, but oh so pretty. Add the thin sheet and let it slightly dry. Then gently brush some of it away to create an old world gilded look. Love it!

Display Your Waxed Amaryllis Bulbs

Once the Mod Podge is completely dry, arrange your bulbs on a pretty platter or display on a footed server for a beautiful look. I put mine in vintage silver cups and bowls for a very European look. They look especially pretty with my vintage silver plate wall. A waxed Amaryllis display would also make a gorgeous holiday table centerpiece. Start soon, and in about 6-8 weeks you should have a stunning floral display. Happy Growing!

PIN IT FOR LATER!