Turn your tub into a garden pond with this colourful (and practical) stopper. No more groping around your bathwater for the plug! Frogs not included.

To me, one of the best things in life is a soothing bubble bath. So when challenged to come up with a new and innovative craft idea using flowers, I quickly thought of my sister's great bathtub plug. Attached to the plug was a chain with a plastic flower on the opposite end. When the plug was in use, the tropical flower gently floated on top of the bath water. It was so simple, yet so clever—it inspired me to craft my own elegant design!

The two most important things to remember when choosing materials for this project is that (1) the flower has to float and (2) all the parts must be able to survive being submerged repeatedly in water. Craft foam will naturally float, but you may need a thicker piece to support the flower and hardware. Use lightweight and rustproof metal parts. Most fake flowers are coated with or made from plastic, but test your flower in a warm or hot bath to make sure it is colourfast and waterproof. Enjoy your next soak in the tub!

Materials

• 1 silk hibiscus flower with leaves and stem
• Craft foam in yellow, at least 1/8 inch thick
• 1 eyebolt with nut
• 1 bathtub plug with metal ring
• 15 inches of lightweight chain (see crafting tips below for substitution)
• 1 split ring

Tools

• Ruler
• Geometric compass (see crafting tips below for substitution)
• Scissors
• Set of bead reamers (see crafting tips below)
• Pliers
• Krazy Glue*

Steps

step 1 Measure the diameter of the flower. Use the compass to make a circle of equal size on the craft foam. Cut out the circle using scissors.
step 2 Use the sharp pointed end of the compass to make a hole in the center of the foam. Remove the nut from the bolt and set the nut aside. Screw the bolt through the center until the eye butts up against the bottom side of the foam. Set the bolt and foam aside.
step 3 Remove the flower from the stem. The flower may also have one or several "stalks" in the center, called stamen, like this hibiscus does. Remove the stamen and set it aside. (It will be reattached in step 6 to maintain the original look of the flower.) Using the bead reamer, enlarge the hole where the stem was removed by inserting the reamer and filing away any excess plastic. The hole must be large enough to accommodate the bolt.
step 4 Position the foam (set aside in step 2) with the eyebolt on the bottom. Screw the bolt through the bottom of the flower until the flower rests on the top side of the foam. Secure the bolt, now situated in the center of the flower, with the nut. Set aside.
step 5 To assemble the bathtub plug, use the pliers to open the ring on the plug to thread on the chain. At the opposite end of the chain, thread on the split ring.
step 6 Position the flower foam-side up. Use the pliers to attach the split ring on the chain to the eye loop on the bolt. Turn the flower to the right side. Apply a drop of Krazy Glue* to the base and to the inside of the stamen that was removed and set aside in step 3. Fit the stamen over the bolt and hold it in place until it adheres.

Crafting Tips

• If you do not have a geometric compass, use a pencil and trace around a container lid or bowl to make the circle on the craft foam.
• A bead reamer is a round metal file used to enlarge bead holes. In this case, it's being used to enlarge the stem hole in the flower by filing away excess plastic. If you don't have a bead reamer, you can make your own. Wrap a wooden barbeque skewer or toothpick with sandpaper and secure it at the base with tape.
• Silk flowers are very easy to dismantle into separate parts. Flowers, leaves, stamens, buds etc. typically pop right off-just give them a little tug at the joint.
• Can't find lightweight, rustproof chain? Buy flapper chain. It's meant to be used in water (because it's typically found in toilet tanks). Okay, it's not glamorous, but it's really cheap and easy to find!
• Make bath time fun for your kids, too! Instead of a flower, attach to the end of the chain a rubber duck, animal-shaped sponges or other bath toys that float!

*Krazy Glue trademark is owned by Krazy Glue Corporation.