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Paper White Bulbs

I think perhaps I’m cheating a bit on the “handmade” aspect of today’s idea, but I wanted to share with you this awesome gift idea that was given to me recently:

Paper white bulbs.

Please understand that I have little knowledge of growing plants indoors. I accepted my gift of paper white bulbs from my friend with some fear and trepidation.

However, it came with instructions that I followed.

And each day, for the past few weeks we have watched these humble little bulbs grow roots, sprout, and now are blooming!

How to gift and grow paper white bulbs on harbourbreezehome.com

In looking at the bulbs as a gift option, I think it would be perfect to package them something like this:

Source out a tall clear vase (they grow to be quite tall) and put a bed of marbles or smooth stones in the bottom (about 2 inches thick). Then nestle the bulbs inside, and tie the instructions (posted below) with a pretty bow around the top.

How to gift and grow paper white bulbs on harbourbreezehome.com

Here are the instructions that I was given:

How to Force Paper Whites:

  1. Spread an inch or 2 of stones along the bottom of a container.
  2. Position your paper white bulbs, pointed end up, on top of the stone layer. Go ahead and squeeze them in. The tight fit will help keep them from toppling over.
  3. Add another layer of stones to fill in any gaps and cover the bulbs up to their shoulders. The pointed tips should still be showing.
  4. Add water so the level just reaches the base of the bulbs. Allowing the bottom of the bulb to sit in water will stimulate growth.  Covering the entire bulb with water could cause it to rot.
  5. The bulbs don’t need light at this point and they prefer to be kept on the cool side. Check your bubls daily to see if they need more water.
  6. When you see roots developing, move the container into a bright location. The brighter the better, but try not to let them get too warm or they’ll grow leggy. {Perhaps mine are a bit leggy? I don’t even know…}
  7. Once the plants flower, they will last longer if moved out of direct sunlight, to a cool spot with diffused light.

Now, having thrown out that idea of forcing bulbs, I don’t really know if paper white bulbs are still available this time of year… Maybe some of you gardeners out there could fill us in?

Regardless, I have loved watching these beautiful flowers come to life on a daily basis.

It was a lovely gift, indeed.

If you’ve missed the previous posts in our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Ideas, you can click on the links below:

How to gift and grow paper white bulbs on harbourbreezehome.com

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