Glittered, Wax Dipped, Pinecone Christmas Ornaments

With Christmas coming, our crafting has gone into overdrive. We love finding goodies from nature and turning them into handmade Christmas gifts and ornaments.

Four of our very favorite things all in one craft... beeswax, pine cones, glitter and Christmas. This weekend we made some wax-dipped and glittered pine cones to keep for our Christmas tree. Are they not the cutest little pine cones you've seen yet!

So, what we needed to make these little beauties is...

* Beeswax
* Pinecones
*Giltter
* Thread (for hanging your pine cones)
* A Glue Gun

In this post from last year, when we made beeswax leaf ornaments to celebrate Autumn, you can read about how to safely melt beeswax in a homemade bain-marie. As you will see, there's nothing to it.

But, as we work with beeswax often, I have dedicated a small crock-pot (found for next to nothing at a garage sale) especially for melting our beeswax. I don't think you could find an easier way to melt your beeswax... just break it up into small bits, pop it into the crock and set on medium to high heat and wait for your wax to melt. We put down an old drop-sheet to work on so that a few drips of wax won't worry us.

While the beeswax is melting, we used our glue gun to glue hanging thread loops onto the tops of our pine cones.

When the wax was melted, the fun dipping began. Holding then hanging loop we had just stuck onto our pine cones, Teddy and Kitty dipped their pine cones into the hot wax.

In and out, in and out, until we had a few layers of golden wax on our pine cone. We didn't let the pine cones rest in the hot wax for very long as this melts the layer from the previous dipping.

It's wonderful to watch the wax drips dry.

After the last dipping, when the wax is still warm on the pine cone, we set it in a container and sprinkle it with glitter. The glitter sinks into the warm wax and sticks fast.

Oh, isn't glitter glorious!

Green, pink and white for us this year.

Sparkly prettiness from our resident pine tree.

Here are some variations on this craft from previous years...
wax dipped pine cones

pine cone Christmas ornaments

Happy Christmas crafting,
Blessings and magic,
Donni

Let's make a Beeswax Suncatcher.

This weekend was supposed to be a spring cleaning weekend for Kitty. Her wardrobe has become cluttered with favorite clothes that have, alas, either become too small or too holey! Sadly, she is very averse to patches... apparently, they itch! So, it was with a heavy heart that we set about cleaning out her draws with the goal of leaving them neatly filled with her clothes that still fit and don't make her look like Oliver Twist.

It was after tidying the very first drawer that she discovered her flower press, well-hidden in her sweater drawer. She immediately remembered putting it there a many months ago. We had pressed Autumn leaves and she was having a very hard time waiting for them to dry. I suggested she put her press in a safe place that was out of sight. I suggested that if she couldn't see the press, perhaps she'd have an easier wait. As it turns out, her sweater drawer was the 'out-of-sight' place.

So, yesterday, with utter delight, she uncovered our beautifully pressed Autumn leaves.


"Oh, MOM!" she exclaimed happily... "Let's make something exquisite with them!"

Her excitement at discovering a long forgotten treasure was so palpable that I just couldn't bring myself to be the "NO, clean your room!" Ogre.

I put the beeswax on the bain-marie and we set out all we needed to make an autumn leaf sun catcher.

All we needed to make our suncatcher was our pressed leaves, melted beeswax and a tuperware lid that has a nice level base and enough of a lip.


When the beeswax has melted (here is a tutorial on how to melt wax safely), pour a thin layer into the tupperware lid. When the top layer has started to cool, let your child carefully (the wax under the cooled top layer will probably still be hot) arrange the leaves upon the beeswax.


Pour a second layer of melted beeswax over the leaves.



When it has cooled a little (after about 5 minutes) use a sharp object (we used a wooden skewer) to make a hole in the warm wax. This will be how you hang your suncatcher.


When the wax has cooled properly, carefully extract it from the plastic lid (it should pop right out). Hang it in the window with a piece of string or ribbon and enjoy the pure beauty.


It is soooooooo beautiful, especially on a rainy day just when the sun comes out again... it glows golden and little hands just can't keep themselves from touching it :-)


Needless to say, Kitty's room remains un-Spring cleaned :-)

Blessings and magic,
Donni

Let's make Easter Candles.

With Easter just around the corner, we have been saving all of our egg shells. When we have an omelet, I crack the egg from the top by knocking on it with a spoon... then I carefully make a hole in the egg shell, a hole just big enough to allow the egg and yolk to escape for our breakfast. I rinse the egg shell thoroughly and let it dry and then store it in an old egg carton. Why? You may ask. For Easter candles, of course!


It's no secret that I adore working with beeswax... I love the golden color, the rich honey smell, the smooth, creamy texture. It's magical. For this years Easter candles, we are using beeswax.


I melted the beeswax using a baine-marie I made on the stove by boiling a pot of water and placing a recycled wide-mouthed-jar in the boiling water. The beeswax blocks went into the jar to melt. This method melts the beeswax slowly and safely.

When the wax is melted, I pour it into a warmed jug I use only for beeswax. The jug helps me pour the melted wax into the egg shells I've been collecting.


The egg carton holds the egg securely while I am filling the shells with wax.

Then, I cut a length of candlewick for each candle. I love to use the wick that has stabilizing wire in it as it's so easy to work with. When the wax in the shells has started to firm slightly (a minute or two after pouring), I insert the little wick into the hot wax. the slight firmness of the top layer of wax holds the wick in place.


I cut the wick to size and our sweet Easter candles are ready... aren't they just too delightful?


We make many Easter candles at a time and use them on our dinner table for the whole month leading up to Easter... the children get so excited to see that Easter is coming that eating their dinner is a breeze. They are such sweet Easter gifts to give too.

Beautiful organic beeswax is available in my shop, Fairyfolk.
And, I have also listed for sale some Easter candles there too.

Happy Easter crafting :-)
Blessings and magic,
Donni

Let's make wax-dipped Pine Cone Ornaments.

As you may know, we wish to someday have a Christmas tree that it entire decorated with handmade ornaments... some collected, some made by us, some found at thrift stores or yard sales. We know that it will take many years to collect and make such treasures but we are delighted that we have started on our quest. Each sweet ornament that we make will be carefully packed away after Christmas and stored until next year. Then, we will unwrap it carefully and the memories of this Christmas, the memories of our time together making it, will come flooding back. We will smile and reminisce and feel our holiday spirit grow.

Today, we made wax pine cone ornaments.

Of all our handmade ornaments to date, these little pine cones dipped in beeswax are my favorite of all. They are so pretty with their red bows and golden jackets.

To make beeswax dipped pine cones you will need;

* small pine cones
* eye hooks
* a drill with a small bit
* ribbon
* beeswax

Begin by melting the beeswax over a bain-marie on the stove. A bain-marie can be made by filling a pot, a third full, with water. Bring water to the boil and set your beeswax pot in the boiling water to melt. I have a little milk warmer dedicated to melting beeswax as I work with beeswax often. I let the left-over beeswax harden in the milk warmer and store it for next time. If you don't often work with beeswax, a recycled jar will work just as well as my milk warmer and you can throw it away (or recycle it) when you are done.


While the beeswax is melting, drill a hole, just a little but smaller than the width of your eye hooks, in the top of the pine cone.

Screw the eye hook into the hole.



When the beeswax is melted you can start dipping your pine cones. Hold the pine cone by the eye hook and dip it into the melted beeswax, quickly. Once you have dipped the pine cone, hold it over the melted beeswax to catch the drips.


Let the dipped pine cone rest for a few seconds, allowing the thin coating of beeswax to harden. Then, dip it into the melted beeswax again, quickly. The quicker you dip the pine cone into the wax, the better it will coat the pine cone.


Let the 2nd layer of wax harden for a few moments and then dip it again, quickly. Soon, you will have a delightfully coated pine cone.


Cut a length of ribbon and hang your pretty ornament with a bow.


Merry blessings and magic,
Donni

Let's make beeswax leaf ornaments.

How excited I was to find a little silicone leaf mold at a garage sale the other day... I think it's for chocolates but, of course, all I could see was beeswax!

Here are the beeswax leaf ornaments we made today... aren't they darling?


First, we melted our beeswax in a homemade baine-marie (if you want to find out how to safely melt beeswax, please have a look at my other beeswax posts)


Then, we poured the melted wax into the leaf molds...


The wonderful thing about using a silicone mold is that, as you can see, you don't have to be perfect!


When the wax had cooled slightly, I inserted a skewer into the leaf, making a hole in the wax for the hanging ribbon.


When they are fully set, pop the leaves out of the molds, string them on ribbons and hang them in a special place in your home.


Ours are hanging from our chandelier and the warmth from the lights warms the beeswax, sending it's sweet aroma around the room... hmmmmm, it's wonderful!

Blessings and magic,
Donni

Preserve Autumn Leaves with Beeswax.

When we go for our daily walks, we always take a basket for our special finds. Lately, it has been all kinds and colors of Autumn leaves.


Today, we preserved our favorites, dipping them in melted beeswax. Aren't they beautiful...


To preserve leaves in beeswax, you will need;
*Beeswax (buy online or at craft stores. I carry these beeswax blocks in my shop, Fairyfolk)
* Collected Leaves with stems
* A bowl
* A plastic bag.


Put the plastic bag inside the bowl. you will pour the melted beeswax into the plastic lined bowl. The plastic will prevent your bowl from being ruined by the wax. When you are finished, all you do is let the leftover wax in the plastic bag cool. When it is cold, it comes away from the plastic easily and can be reused for another beeswax craft.


Melt the beeswax using a homemade bain-marie and pour the melted wax in to the plastic lined bowl.


Hold each leaf by it's stem and carefully dip it into the beeswax. Submerge each leaf fully.


Lay the wax coated leaves on waxpaper to cool.

Voila! You have beautifully preserved your Autumn leaves to enjoy long after the trees outside are bare and the snow is like a blanket of white across the lawn.


In preparation for Michaelmas,
Blessings and magic to you,
Donni

Preserve Autumn Leaves in a Beeswax Bowl.

Here in Southern California, the leaves are just starting to turn. We call it The Golding of the Leaves. It's a magnificent time of year... natures last hurrah before she has to button down for the cold months of winter.

When we go on our daily walks, we take a basket and fill it with beautifully colored leaves... we marvel at the reds, oranges and yellows of Autumn. We often wish that the leaves we collect would stay that color forever but we know they will dry and brown and wither to dust. Wouldn't it be nice if we could keep them red and orange and yellow for just a little longer... well, today we made a gorgeous, golden, beeswax bowl and adorned it with our Fall leaves, knowing that the magic beeswax would preserve the colorful leaves for us. We will put a candle into our beeswax bowl so that the golden candlelight will shine through the wax and the brilliant leaves for us to enjoy through the winter months.


To make an Autumn Leaf Bowl you will need:

* Beeswax (buy online. I carry these same beeswax blocks in my shop, Fairyfolk).
* Collected Autumn leaves
* A small porcelain or glass bowl
* A bigger bowl
* Clingwrap plastic
* A plastic bag without holes.


Turn the smaller bowl upside down. Wrap the outside of the bowl tightly with clingwrap. Make sure that the clingwrap is tight and smooth over the bowl and that it is not broken.

Put the plastic bag into the bigger bowl. You will pour the melted beeswax into this plastic lined bowl.


Melt the beeswax (here is a tutorial on how to safely melt beeswax using a homemade bain-marie)

Pour the melted beeswax into the plastic lined bowl.


Quickly dip the small, clingwrap-wrapped bowl into the beeswax and take it out again, letting the excess melted beeswax drip back into the bigger bowl. Wait a few seconds for the first dipping layer to cool slightly and then dip again. Repeat many times. Each time you dip the small bowl into the melted beeswax, it gets a thicker coating of beeswax. When your beeswax bowl is the desired thickness (the thinner it is, the more the candlelight will glow through it but it can't be too thin or it will break when you remove it from the small porcelain bowl.)


When the beeswax bowl is the desired thickness, dip your leaves into the melted beeswax and stick them to your beeswax bowl... the hot wax will stick each leaf fast to the beeswax bowl.

Settle the beeswax bowl onto a piece of clingwrap and push it downward to level the base of your bowl.


After you have let your beeswax bowl cool for a few minutes, gently unfurl the clingwrap from the porcelain bowl. Work it loose at the edges of the beeswax, wiggle it gently, working the clingwap and beeswax loose from the porcelain bowl.

When your beeswax bowl is separated from the porcelain bowl, gently peel the clingwrap away from the beeswax.

Voila! You have made a gorgeous beeswax votive that will shine golden, omitting it delicious honey aroma into your home.


In preparation for Michaelmas,
Blessings and magic to you,
Donni