It has been very cold here of late so indoor activities, especially those that take place around a stove, have held a somewhat greater appeal.
First, let me stipulate:
1) I am not a craft person (and I will define "crafts" as time consuming activities where the output is worth less than the inputs (which also defines the Soviet economy));
2) I loathe scented and most commercially bought candles; and
3) Most hand-dipped candles look terrible, while still being messy and tedious to make.
Given that, it comes as somewhat of a surprise to me that I would enjoy beeswax candle making. We have long bought locally produced honey from friends who keep bees and were the grateful recipients of some extra sheets of pure honeycomb beeswax. These candles are incredibly easy and fast to make, especially with friends.
I first divide the honeycomb sheet in half (by scoring it through bending and then tearing) and...
Having measured and cut the wick, I line it up on the edge...
...and start to tightly wrap.
The process is quick and relatively idiot-proof.
I hold the finished product over the heat once again, enough to soften and seal the edge.
Some will be put to use when we inevitably lose our power due to winter storms this year.
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| Inspected by the Maremma Sheepdog |
...with the tops slightly burned (as I would with any new candle)...
...to enjoy.
36 comments:
A friend made these as favours when she got married. I rolled hundreds of them...no wonder I dont have a single beeswax candle in my house now!
My MIL has this odd thing...she cant stand a candle that has been burned. So if she burns tapers at dinner...she wont reuse them. Isn't that odd?
The candles are lovely, and I could not agree with or enjoy your definition of "crafts" more! It more than sums up my general irritation about them. Thanks!
I greatly appreciate your frame-by-frame explanation and think I could actually do this if I were to try. Cheers to crafting that yields something functional!
I like your twisted candlesticks. They remind me of the banisters is some colonial New England houses.
--Road to Parnassus
Love this post. Although I also love scented candles (depending on the scent) these would be nice while eating dinner.
Muffy these are wonderful. I would love to try my hand at makig these and, like you, I'm not a fan of scented anything.
If you ever decide to sell some of your lovely candles, I'd be interested in buying.
Funny you should say "idiot proof" because that is where I usually prove myself to be the idiot that cannot manage it somehow.
What a lovely result! I'm inspired to try this myself. Thank you for sharing. I also enjoyed the humorous comments.
Bitsy
Muffy, do you have any 'work' clothes for doing messy chores? We know that you guard your clothing for decades so maybe nothing wears out and can be delegated ony for raking leaves or making candles?
The beeswax candles do look pretty easy. I may give it a go. I usually call "handy crafts" handy craps. I'm conserned that Martha Stewart is getting nervous.
I actually did these with my students so I can attest to it being a fairly simply task - although their candles weren't quite as nice.
I'm glad I am not the only person who immediately burns the wick on new candles, either. My mother started it and I continue it in my own home.
Nicely done. If you role four sections of straightened wire hangers spaced out into the first few roles and then remove them (slide carefully out) when finished, they make drip channels within the candle, making them even more dripless.
Red-baiting is also a genuinely preppy hobby... good to see you deploying it!
I love beeswax candles. I don't like strong scented candles. In this part of the country "crafts" usually refers to crocheted chickens and bedazzled sweatshirts.
I love the way they turned out (and how easy the process is)!
I have always charred the wicks of new candles before putting them out--I assume I saw my mother do it, and I have continued her practice.
This is the first time I have ever read a blog entry mentioning this small but significant housekeeping detail that often gets overlooked these days, sadly.
there is a cool breath of yankee fresh air that blows through your blog. i am never disappointed!
for a lover of all things scentless and all things as natural as possible, these are perfect.
i love the tartan scarf. beautiful.
tammy j
Just lovely...my favorite candles are beeswax...there is a little store in town that I buy them from...just love how they look...
I always burn new candles a little bit as well. I think there is something a little off about a candle that is purely decorative, so I need to burn them so that they appear a bit more utilitarian.
Yours turned out great! My mother's really weird about not lighting candles, though.
Nifty! I also really like that scarf...
I decided to go with the camp mocs, they should be here shortly...
Very nice! I'm somewhat surprised you're not a "crafts" person, though. (Although I guess you admitted to not being the most skilled at making wreaths one year. :-)) I would have thought you would enjoy making what could more easily be bought. I fully agree about scented candles, though... I admit to being overly sensitive and feeling like I am being poisoned by even the higher-end versions. I also agree that dipped candles don't look good, although I think they look somewhat historically authentic.
Lovely! Yes, bad luck in my home to have an unburnt wick ;-). xoxo {Preppy 101}
Beg to differ about the crafts definition--------nothing compares to the joy of making and wearing a cabled, hand knit sweater or socks. Lovelier than those by Ralph
Lauren anytime. Knitting, weaving, painting, just a few
examples of beautiful art forms which some may associate
with the term 'crafts.'I consider them to be an important
part of our rich American heritage.
@Anonymous 4:07 - Absolutely - I have older, more worn versions of what I normally wear.
@Anonymous 8:33 - It sounds like we agree.
Anonymous 10:04: I hear you about the commercially "scented" stuff. They make my sinuses close up immediately, and I hear those chemical "scents" are carcinogenic anyway! Lovely job, Muffy, wish I knew some beekeepers.
Muffy, love the cream color and the texture of your candles. Look so pretty on your mantle.
I must say, you have made it look very easy. I will give it a go.
I also like YWP's suggestion about the hangers.
Thanks
Thank you Muffy, this was a charming post. The color and the texture/design of a beeswax candle is so attractive. You make the project look so easy that I may follow up with a few beekeepers I know and try this. I tend to agree that most scented candles are dreadful.
And a belated Happy New Year to you and your family!
re my previous comment: Your candles are beautiful, I couldn't do as well. I highly value hand made items.
Muffy, those candles look great. Thanks for the tutorial.
I was looking for a boat cloak (don't ask) when I stumbled on this site:
http://jas-townsend.com/index.php?cPath=30
Looks like a great source....if you want to party like it's 1799.
... unless they are bacon-scented candles, that is.
Zenas313... I laughed out loud at your second comment... you can never go wrong with bacon.
Your definition of craft - output that is less valuable than the inputs - applies not only to the Soviet economy but also, unfortunately, to large swaths of our own, e.g., cars so poorly made by expensive labor that they can be sold only on the basis of artificially cheap financing; homes so poorly made that they can be sold only on the basis of artificially cheap financing; two-thirds of the education industry that performs so poorly it survives only on the basis of ever-increasing taxes; and five-sixths of state and federal government activity that produces little of value to anyone who doesn't hold a job producing the "activity." Yankee thrift and skepticism no longer has much influence.
I love this idea! I know you stated you were given sheets of honeycomb from friends, but do you know anywhere that sells these sheets? I live on the CT shoreline, and am thinking maybe health food stores? Any input would be appreciated!
that is good article for read
i can make a candle by beeswax
love it
thanks
Love the link from Cranky Yankee!
Bitsy
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