Customer Reviews

Beeswax Crafts, Candlemaking, Modelling, Beauty Creams, Soaps and Polishes, Encaustic Art, Wax Crayo

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This book was my introduction to crafting with beeswax. The book has detailed instructions and beautiful detailed photographs to follow along with. Six areas of beeswax crafting are introduced to the reader: candle making, beeswax modeling, making cone shaped crayons, encaustic art (melting crayons onto an iron and then "painting" it onto paper), furniture polish, and making beauty creams and soap.

As I said this is a great introduction, and as such, sometimes there is only one project per category. I think this book is helpful for a beginner and if you find that enjoy these crafts and you want to do more of one the same, then you may either custom design your own projects (when applicable) or find other recipes or instructions from other books and/or sources. If you know and understand this before buying the book I think you will be very happy.

The photographs are wonderful and I found them very helpful. The different kinds of beeswax are explained and important melting safety tips are clearly written. Many different types of candle making are explained, some using sheets of wax that are rolled by hand and others that used melted beeswax. Dipping candles, hand modeling candles, and using molds, both hard and flexible are all included here. Five recipes for creams are included, and one soap that uses beef tallow (fat). Five wood/furniture polish recipes are here, one of which is made with beef tallow. Instructions to make the crayons are here along with tips for successful sketching with them. Encaustic art is clearly explained although it still seemed a difficult craft, and requires specialty equipment, which does not make it easy or inexpensive to try out. (I had previously read about it without accompanying photographs and didn't understand what was being communicated. Other instructions I've read elsewhere don't fully outline the proper materials needed, so this book did a great job of explaining it.)

A great introduction if you've never watched these crafts being made in person or if you are a visual learner and have a difficult time following directions that are not accompanied by photographs.

My husband has just started beekeeping this year (2010) and although we don't have any extra beeswax or honey, I am looking forward to the time when I can utilize the information in this book to make candles, soaps, crayons, and other crafts. I'd really like to try the Encaustic Art, but it looks really hard...we'll see...maybe my interest in it will get the best of me!