How to Gold Plate Roses

Gold is an excellent way to preserve a rose. If you collect roses for your wedding anniversary, you can build a 10-, 25- or 50-year bouquet over time. Dry, then paint the roses with liquid gold to preserve and present them to a loved one in an elegant manner. Gold plating is easy, it doesn't take a tremendous amount of time and it provides a way to keep roses gilded for a lifetime.

Select the number of roses you wish to plate. Determine a length for the rose stems and cut them to that measurement. Hang the roses in a cool, dry place to preserve them. To do this, clip the bottom of the rose stems to pants hangers. Hang them upside down in the closet for three days until they are dry.

Lay a sheet of newspaper down outside on a flat surface. Coat each dried rose in a floral preservative spray. You can obtain a floral preservative spray from a florist. Rehang the sprayed roses in the closet in the same manner as before for another day to fully dry.

Purchase 18- or 24-karat liquid gold from your local craft store or a retailer specializing in liquid gold. Pour the gold paint into a small dish on a paint palette.

Dip the tip of a small paintbrush into the liquid gold and, one rose at a time, carefully paint the gold onto the rose petals. Cover all exposed surface area and hang the roses to dry in the closet again. Place a piece of newspaper beneath them on the floor to catch any excess paint that may drip off the roses.

Paint a thin layer of oil-based varnish over the gold after the roses have dried to protect the roses from decomposition. Place the gold plated roses into a vase and display or present them to the recipient.