Wax House Journals with Betterbee Chandler, Mel Sandbrook: Soap Crayons
Here's a fun project for you, and some preschool bathtub fun for your little ones. Making soap crayons from beeswax is simple since the ingredient list is so short and the project requires just a few tools and very little time.
SOAP CRAYON RECIPE
- 1 Part (by volume) melted soap (solid soap, grated or cut into small pieces for easy melting): I tried several soaps and just loved the Unscented white glycerine soap. It's known for its gentle moisturizing and softening characteristics.
- 1 Part (by volume) melted beeswax (a block of filtered pure beeswax, grated or cut into small pieces)
- 5 different Non-Toxic Pigments for coloring your soap crayons: I used 1 teaspoon per 1/4 cup of beeswax/soap mixture. There are some veggie-based colorants available online as well. It was fun to choose these colorants, and we bet your child would love to help you with this part of the project!
YOUR TOOL LIST
- 2 1-Cup Pyrex measuring cups
- 5 small jars and stir sticks to mix in your pigment
- Molds of your choice: We have some very cute small animal candle molds here at Betterbee, or you can opt for a silicone mold for ice cube sticks like the one we used in this demonstration.
DIRECTIONS
Begin grating equal parts of soap and beeswax and place only the beeswax into one of your Pyrex cups for melting. I microwave at 45-second intervals and stir each time until I see melting. Keep doing this and stirring between intervals, being careful to not overheat your mixture. It will melt between 144 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit. It should never be heated past 170 degrees Fahrenheit. You may use a thermometer to give you an idea of the temperature of your mixture. I only heat until it's melted, and that works for me. Overheating could cause discoloration of the wax and even combustion. Safety first! After you have completely melted the beeswax, begin melting the grated soap in the other Pyrex cup. (This will take less time than the wax.) I like to prepare 1/4 cup melted beeswax to 1/4 cup melted soap.
Mix the two together and quickly add your pigment, stir, and pour as fast as you can. It sets up fast so working fast is essential. (Tip: Watch for hot handles on your Pyrex cup.) Each batch will make a few of the same color crayons, and I like to put little multi-colored packs together for gifts.
You might ask for another adult hand with this so you won't have to keep reheating while you're pouring. It's more fun doing a project like this with someone anyway, right? I just do a quick cleanup and reuse the Pyrex cups for my next color. It can get a little messy, but the outcome is worth it.
Once everything's poured, it's time to wait. For small molds, it could be up to an hour before unveiling your fabulous creations. The silicone stick molds may be ready a bit sooner.
Then the fun begins! Get the kids and play in the sink, or "draw" (pardon the pun!) a bath for your sweet little one and see how your colors play out. The crayons can be used to draw patterns and scenes on your tub or sink, and then can be scrubbed off with a splash of hot water when you want to return to a blank canvas. Enjoy these last days of summer, and as always... stay inspired!
-Mel
