Tulips
Step1
When you receive your tulips, they will have rubber bands on them, one at the bottom and one at the top. Keep the rubber bands on, but remove the paper.
Step 2
Give them a fresh cut if the ends of the stems look dry. Cut off about a half inch of the stem. Use sharp pruners or a sharp knife.
Step 3
Place the tulips in a tall heavy vase, or a quart mason jar would also be fine. Fill with cold water to the top and don't use flower food. Tulips drink a lot, and even absorb water through their entire stem, not just the cut end.
Step 4
Once the stems have firmed up you can remove the rubber bands. It can take up to 4 hours. Keeping the rubber bands on will prevent the tulips from curling. It isn't a problem really, I think most people prefer a straighter stem is all.