How to Make Water Offerings

I was taught by a Gelugpa monk how to do this. It's very simple, the way he taught me, but as mentioned already it's intention that counts.

I leave the bowls on the altar turned upside down. I first get flower offerings and get ready for the water. Then I pour the first bowl completely full and go left to right pouring a tiny big of water from the first bowl so there are no empty offerings on the altar. The bowls should be about a grain of rice apart. I fill the rest of the bowls from left to right saying, OH AH HUM every time. Then when all the offerings are in place, I light an incense and wave it over all the offerings on the shrine (including the flowers) reciting OH AH HUM. Then I do daily recitations and a short practice that includes homage to some deities and and short mantra chanting while sitting in front of the shrine. It's a simple ritual but it's very nice and used with my short daily recitations it feels like a very nice way to start the day. He told me to take the offerings down by 2:00pm and if I don't make it by then, take them down the next morning.

I hope that's of some use.