How To Make Blue Roses
Things Needed
-
Vase
-
Water
-
Blue food coloring
-
Knife
-
White roses
-
Paper towels
Tip
If giving the blue roses as a gift, tie them with a blue ribbon and place in a new, clean vase. If keeping them for yourself, you can leave them in the original vase with colored water as long as you like. The color will darken over time as the petals absorb more color.
Blue roses do not occur naturally, and until only recently, they had never been successfully bred at all. Genetic modification made the first blue roses possible, but you can create your own blue roses at home without expensive laboratory equipment. Using only food coloring, water and cut white roses, you can create blue roses that make a great alternative to traditional red and pink roses.
Step 1
Fill a vase approximately half full of water. Make sure the vase is large enough to hold all of the blue roses you are creating. It's easier to make one large batch than several smaller batches.
Step 2
Add several drops of blue food coloring to the water. Add more food coloring for darker blue roses, and less food coloring for lighter blue roses.
Step 3
Use a sharp knife to cut a small notch in the bottom of each of the white rose stems. This will make it easier for them to absorb the color, and you'll see results more quickly.
Step 4
Place the cut white roses in the vase of colored water. Allow them to remain in the water for at least 24 hours for the best results. They should be left alone for a minimum of 8 hours to fully absorb the color.
Step 5
Remove the roses from the water and absorb any excess water from the stems with paper towels. Your roses should be a blue color relative to the amount of food coloring you added to the water.