Rolling Along
How good does beeswax smell? When I'm rolling candles I just want to eat the sheets of wax! They smell so divine. If I can't eat them I can at least enjoy their heavenly honey perfume when I burn my candles. One of my favourite things about the shorter winter days is the excuse to light candles. I love the soft, golden light they give. It's gentle on the eyes and soothing to my soul.
I had planned on making these with the girls and indulging in a spot of craftyr. They, however, had other plans and are busy taking apart the lounge room couch and building a cubby. That's the other fun winter past time around here - cubby building!
So I'm sitting here alone at my rather beaten up kitchen table (it's been very well loved as you can see!), rolling candles. This year I'm playing with different wicks. I'm using a square braid number two wick. I've torn the beeswax sheets in half width ways and I'm experimenting with using two or three pieces. I'll burn the candles and see which candle works the best. I've been using a thin wick for years and I suspect it isn't the right size for the short and squat candles I like to make. I end up with bits of wax dribbling everywhere and the candle burning unevenly. The girls love it though - so much fun to be had with wax dribbles!
Update! I got distracted in the middle of making candles by my book (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shafer) and sitting on the remnants of my couch with a cup of my favourite liquorice tea. When I came back to the kitchen, Phoebe came with me and made a candle. Whee! A little bit of craftyr. Just what I was looking for today!
If you're interested in rolling your own candles this winter, I get my sheets of beeswax from a beekeeping place and the wick from either Riot Art and Craft (they only have one size of wick these days) or Stacks of Wax in Sydney. Stacks of Wax have everything you could ever need for candle making including an enormous range of wicks as well as lots of ready made candles you can buy.
Happy candle making!