The Simple Trick That Keeps Paperwhites Upright, According to Brunch with Babs

Published on December 23, 2025

Growing paperwhites is a beautiful way to add freshness to your holiday decor. These bulbs are often grown indoors in winter, sending up extremely fragrant white flowers with delicate yellow centers that make a beautiful centerpiece for your Christmas table. Paperwhites are also very easy to grow; the only trouble they might give you is when they grow too tall and fall over.

To keep the steps upright, some people loosely tie or stake their paperwhites together. Brunch with Babs recommends an even easier way to keep paperwhites from drooping with something you might already have in your house.

Give Your Vase a Shot of Vodka

Brunch with Babs likes to keep her paperwhites from drooping with a surprising hack: a splash of vodka. She uses one part vodka, which is 40% alcohol, to seven parts water to make a 5% alcohol solution. Any type of vodka will do, though it’s probably for the best if you stick with an inexpensive bottle. 

If you don't have vodka on hand, any type of hard liquor will do because it's the high alcohol content and lack of sugars that matters (never use beer or wine). Even rubbing alcohol works, though at 70% alcohol, use 10 or 11 parts water to dilute it down enough.

Using alcohol to stunt paperwhites is an old home remedy, but a study from Cornell University in 2005 confirmed that it works—as long as you don't use too much alcohol. Similar to humans, moderation is the key! Stay below 10% alcohol, and your paperwhite bulbs will still produce beautiful blooms when their water is spiked, just without the tall, drooping stems.

Tips for Watering Your Paperwhites with Alcohol

Use precise measurements when making your alcohol solution to ensure you don't overdo it. Babs says she waits to start using her vodka mixture until her paperwhites have rooted and the shoots are at least one inch tall. Then she waters every time with the solution.

Many commenters also wonder whether this hack works well for amaryllis bulbs—another common indoor winter flower. The same watering rules apply here; use a 5-6% alcohol solution and wait until the shoots are at least an inch tall before watering with it. This should stunt the growth of your amaryllis plant by about a third so the flower stem won't flop over. 

“They say paperwhites bring the joy of the holiday indoors, and I have to agree. Enjoy them, and spread the joy,” Babs says. We’ll toast to that (and our paperwhites will, too).