4Real Forums: modelling beeswax

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Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry ( Forum Locked)
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Topic: modelling beeswax

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LucyP
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Posted: Jan 05 2009 at 10:45am \| IP Logged

(sorry not sure where to post this!)

We were given some really nice (you'd think) Artemis modelling beeswax for Christmas - it's made with plant dyes and should be so lovely, but we can't do a thing with it. It is very very hard, and tends to crumble and flake when we try to work with it. If we put it on the heater to warm up it melts but in our hands it takes maybe 20 minutes to warm up, and even then it is not useable for modelling because it still feels so unyielding. I wasn't impressed with the quality of the beeswax candle kit from the same supplier we were also given - the instructions were awful and o were the wicks, so I don't know if we got a bad batch, or if we are doing something wrong.

Anyone any good at modelling beeswax?

Mackfam
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Posted: Jan 05 2009 at 1:55pm \| IP Logged

Lucy - I'd call Artemis. I have a box and I don't like it as much as Stockmar beeswax, but....it does become pliable over time - it doesn't crumble like yours. Perhaps you could talk to the company and they could just replace your beeswax products for you.

In the winter, I just keep a small bowl of it on a sunny window sill. It's just enough warmth to let it not be like concrete, but not so much that it melts.

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donnalynn
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Posted: Jan 05 2009 at 6:30pm \| IP Logged

I have never worked with Artemis - I've used Stockmar and made my own.

But here are some things we do to get it started...

I start with a pretty small piece - maybe the size of a quarter.

I have the children cup their hands and blow inside - "warm up your little oven"...

then they hold their beeswax while I tell a story - if it is still very hard then I will set work on it for bit.

I generally try to get the piece flattened out so much that if you hold it up to the light it is almost translucent (you can look for shapes and stories like you would clouds). By the time it is very flat it is usually pretty pliable and then the children can squish into shapes they want.

I agree sunny windows are good!

On top of the wood stove in a pan - not so good.

I've always considered getting it into a workable condition as part of the activity - in fact - on the kindergarten level I know in some kindergartens - the activity is to make the flat piece and look for "pictures" when it is held up to a sunny window.

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