Reddit mentions of Louis Garden 17" Artificial Silk Flowers Fake Rose (1, Red)

Alright guys, so here is a brief walk-through/parts list for making one for the princess in your life!

First off: The parts! (these are just the parts I used, if you can find alternatives you think would work better, go for it. I didn't really shop around too hard)

1. Plymor Brand Glass Doll Display Dome with Walnut Base - 5.5" x 10"
   
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006XIQT7G?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
   
   You can get smaller ones for much cheaper, but it's for valentine's day, so I decided to go with a larger dome.
   
   
2. Louis Garden 17" Artificial Silk Flowers Fake Rose (1, Red)
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Louis-Garden-Artificial-Silk-Flowers/dp/B00YY0B2DG/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1452834689&sr=1-2&keywords=Louis+Garden+17%22+Artificial+Flowers+Fake+Rose+-+Red
   
   I actually ordered a two pack for this price when it was on sale I guess, and used the extra rose for the petals on the base.
   
   
3. BZONE Led String Starry Light Copper Wire Lights Decorative Lights(20 Leds, Warm White, 7ft)
   
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VUVAGDO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
   
   You definitely don't need all 20 LEDs, but it was the shortest string I could find. More on that later. If you can find one with green wire it would look even better, but the ones I found were almost twice as expensive!
   
   TOTAL PRICE: $47.50 ---- People sell them online for about $100 all put together, but I didn't feel like shelling out that much for such a simple concept.
   
   Next: The build!
   
   I said the build was really straight-forward, and I meant it :)
   
   
4. Drill a hole a tiny bit wider than the diameter of the stem of the rose through the center of the wooden stand for the glass dome.
   
   
5. Cut the stem of the rose to a length that fits inside the dome. Don't go too short, you can always cut off more, but you can't add it back on! I also decided to remove one set of leaves from the stem. It originally had two clusters with three leaves each, but I wanted a more simple looking piece.
   
   
6. Run the string of LEDs through the hole you drilled in the base. I only had 5 LED's through the hole on mine. They are pretty bright, and I didn't want to go overboard.
   
   
7. Wrap the stem with the LED string. You want to leave a bit on the end of the stem so you can put it into the hole on the base. I had one LED at the very bottom of the stem to illuminate the fallen petals, and worked my way up. I had another about half-way up the stem, by the leaves, and a third tucked under the green leaves right under the flower.
   
   
8. Slip the LED string between two of the petals, and work your way around the flower. With each wrap you want to slip the wire behind another layer of petals, working towards the center. This is probably the most tedious part of the build, as getting the LED strand to stay in the blossom was a bit of a challenge. I found that bending the wire down before I worked it into the petals worked for me, because if you don't it will want to pop up out of the blossom. Tuck any remaining wire you have into the petals so it is hidden. I only had 2 LEDs in the bloom, and it gave me the illumination level I had hoped for.
   
   
9. Stick the end of the rose down into the base, and bend the stem of the rose to your liking (mine is a tad leaning towards the side)
   
   
10. Tape the wire to the underside of the base so it stays out of the way. I lined it up with the best angle of the flower, and made sure the wire came out the back side.
    
    
11. I had 14-15 extra LEDs on the wire, so I painted over them with some black acrylic paint, because I didn't want there to be light shining behind the shelf or dresser when she set it up.
    
    
12. Place the glass dome onto the base
    
    
13. Enjoy!!!