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Stamp Style These projects will get every crafter's stamp of approval. From "Creative Juice" episode DCRJ-708

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Stamped and Rolled Beeswax Candles

Get busy with these colorful, easy-to-make beeswax candles full of homemade charm.

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Stamped and Rolled Beeswax Candles

Materials:

flat 17"x8" beeswax sheets in various colors
cookie cutters: small and medium circles and large square
kitchen knife or scissors
braided wick
hair dryer or heat gun
old cookie sheet
aluminum foil

1. To make a small square candle, warm a sheet of yellow beeswax with a heat gun or hair dryer, being careful not to completely melt the wax. Use a large square cookie cutter to stamp out 20 beeswax squares (figure A). Stamp one square shape from a piece of blue beeswax; use a medium and a small circle cookie cutter to cut a target shape from the center of the blue square (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

2. Cut a wick at least 1/2" longer than the squares. Sandwich the wick between two squares and firmly press the two squares together around the wick (figure C). Working in groups of two, layer and press yellow squares evenly onto both sides of the candle (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

3. Add blue beeswax stamps to each side of the candle, creating target patterns on each side (figure E).

4. To make a pillar candle, warm two sheets of pink beeswax with a hair dryer or heat gun, being careful not to completely melt the wax (figure F). Use a kitchen knife or a pair of scissors to cut each sheet in half widthwise, creating two 17"x4" pieces.

Figure E

Figure F

5. Cut a wick approximately 4-1/2" long. Lay the wick across the shorter edge of the pink beeswax, leaving a 1/4" overhang on either side. Crimp the edge of the wax over the wick and roll the wax tightly and evenly over the wick (figure G). At the end of the wax sheet, crimp the second piece of pink beeswax to the first sheet and continue rolling (figure H).

Figure G

Figure H

6. Gently roll another color of beeswax around the candle to measure how much purple beeswax is needed to cover the outside of the candle. Cut a piece of purple beeswax to fit around the candle, adding an additional 1/4"-1/2" to the measurement for overlap (figure I).

7. Use a small circle cookie cutter to stamp polka dot shapes from the second color of beeswax (figure J). Press one end of the wax into the candle and roll it around the outside of the candle. Press the end of the beeswax firmly into the candle body.

8. Trim any excess wick from the bottom of the candle. Line a cookie sheet or frying pan with aluminum foil and heat in the oven or on the stovetop. Run the bottom of the candle along the hot foil; this will make the bottom of the candle smooth (figure K).

Figure I

Figure J

Figure K

9. Over time, a film called "bloom" may appear on the surface of the candle. Heating the candle with a hair dryer or heat gun can eliminate the film.

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