How to put a hidden message in a flower vase
Add a bit of flair to your next adventure by having a message magically appear in a flower vase.
Players are instructed to pour water into a glass vase. When the vase is filled, the water beads inside will become clear and a hidden message will appear.
The Supplies:
Here is the list of the supplies I used to create this gambit (including links to things you’ll need to purchase). You may have some of these items already laying around your house!
Waterproof Clue (see below for ideas)
Water
The Setup:
) Prepare your water beads in advance. These tiny beads absorb water and will need to soak for about 24-hours. There are many different brands so make sure you follow the instructions on the package.
) Design your waterproof clue or puzzle. What you hide within the vase is all up to you. It can be a password, directions to the next gambit, or even another puzzle. While designing, keep in mind that this clue will get wet. Consider laminating your clue or using strips of tape to help keep water out. Alternatively, you can write your clue in another waterproof medium such as letter beads or scrabble tiles.
3.) Add your fully grown water beads, your waterproof clue, and some flowers (real or fake) into a vase. Make sure that your clue is positioned so that it is legible when the beads become transparent. I also recommend that you use a vase with a long neck. You don’t want your players reaching their hand in and plucking the clue out early.
4.) Prepare the previous puzzle or gambit that will instruct the players to add water to the vase. For my last adventure, I used a simple jigsaw puzzle that, when completed, spelled out “WATER FLOWERS”.
Tips from the Mystic:
Beta test this gambit before your adventure. The brand of water beads you bought might not become as transparent as you hoped, or your clue may not be waterproof enough. Better to work out the kinks early in the design phase!
All of the items I used for this gambit (besides the adventure-specific clue) were able to be recycled for future adventures. I only used half of a table spoon (7.4 mL) of water beads.
For your adventure, create a backup vase of water beads with the same clue just in case something happens to the first vase. It’s much quicker to set out a second vase instead of trying to pick up thousands of tiny wet beads because the first vase tipped over.
Add an extra bit of flair to your flower vase gambit by creating origami flowers. The origami flowers can have clues, extra puzzles, or special messages to the players written on them.
Now it’s Your Turn
Have you recreated the gambit above or surprised your players with a bit of magic of your own?
We would love to hear about your experiences old, new, good, and bad on the Constructed Adventures subreddit and on our Discord Channel. You can also find us on Instagram
Remember, every day is an opportunity to learn something new!
