Week 42 on the near horizon I am trying not to watch this tea pot too closely. Trying to stay busy. I SOsoSO get why people knit when they're pregnant now. Oh how I wish I had learned to knit. To keep my hands and mind and spirit busy with a sweet little project in lovely wool rather than surfing the web and re-tidying the junk drawer. *sigh*
In one of my tidying fits I scraped, peeled, and hacked every stray piece of beeswax from the boat. Some melted votives in jars and cups, holiday decorations that have cracked and chipped, candle holders coated with drips of beeswax. I gathered them all up and melted them into fresh possibilities.
(We got these cups at a thrift store, the whole lot of them for $1! We've used them again and again for candles, each time scraping out the wax and using it all over again.)
I have a confession to make. I am officially addicted to the smell of beeswax. Nothing makes me happier. I would bathe in it if possible. But I settle for melting and making new candles for this lovely cooler weather we're having. Zach gathered some sand from the shore and created molds using everything from other votive shaped candles to branch blocks from his toys.
We pre-waxed our wicks, cut them to size, and held them in place with clothes pins after pouring the wax into the sand.
A short while later - voila! They are irregular and funky, but they do the trick nicely. After a few nights of enjoying our recycled candles I realized a grave error in our project... using sand as a mold means you get sandy candles. They're cute, but the wax can't be recycled again now because it's all grainy. Whoops.
(Zach couldn't resist pouring some wee candles into our vast shell collection.)
So, we'll head off to our local natural foods store and buy more beeswax. One more thing to keep me busy while I wait.
12 comments:
lol at the shells making yet another appearance. speaking of appearances, i was SO sure you were having that baby... as a fellow 42 (+) week-er, i send you my "c'mon out baby" energy, as much as i can muster.
Well, that's a good way to spend the time in lieu of knitting. Love the sand candles. Hang in there...can't be much longer!!
hmmm...could you strain it through cheesecloth to get the sand out? i am in love with the scent of beeswax, too. we just dipped leaves this past weekend and we have a dish on the table. we all love fondling them and inhaling them deeply. ;)
enjoy your last days with your *only child*. xoxo
i keep checking back to see if your little one has arrived yet. it sounds like you are doing a great job of waiting patiently. sending you labor vibes! jess
When you remelt the beeswax, all the sand will fall to the bottom of the mold. Then you can cut off the sandy bit after it dries. I was given a whole lot of really dirty wax once and that is how I reclaimed it. It was a bit of effort, but was so worth it once I had that big pile of wax to play with! Good luck! And fingers crossed on your baby making her appearance this weekend. I hope your birthing experience is everything you want it to be.
Hi, my name is Cidnie and I am a beeswax addict. I love going into old Catholic churches because nothing smells better than beeswax except beeswax and 100 years of frankincense and myrrh smoke.
You so so so freaking inspire me. There's a beekeeper at our farmers' market who sells huge blocks of beeswax. And we're always looking for neat cups n things...
You can use the wax again as is, it makes for really neat patterns. You can also make candles using toilet paper tubes. We used to also add ice and make "swiss cheese" candles.
How do you make the wicks? I have been wanting to make candles but am not sure about the wicks. Buy them or make them? Love your blogs! Congrats on that beautiful baby.
I bought a long strand of wick material at a craft store, then I dipped it in wax to "prime" it before using. Hopet that helps!
Ok, great. I will look at the craft store. Thanks!
These are so neat...
Thanks for sharing them over at TMG!
Post a Comment