Candle dipping

In early December we finally got around to trying out candle dipping at home.  Chloe and I had done it at Waldorf Holiday Faires in years past, but, although I've had the beeswax for years, we never tried it at home.  It turns out that it's pretty easy to do with an old crock pot or with a soap melter.  We borrowed both of these from friends and you only have to be sure to have water in the pot so that it acts as a double boiler. 

For holding the wax I bought a couple of juice cans at the supermarket.  They worked out pretty well.  You do need to keep refilling the wax so it's deep enough to keep your candles long.  Do plan ahead though because it can take a long time for the wax to melt.  I melted it on the stove (again in a double boiler) and then transferred it to the juice can.  The stove is much faster for the initial melting.  Put on some Christmas music while you dip and it's very relaxing.  The wonderful scent of beeswax just adds to the experience.  We tried it at home first, then the next day we did it at the Campfire meeting.  The kids did a great job at taking turns, so it wasn't as chaotic as I thought it would be.