Saturday, January 23, 2010

Wax Bowl Centerpiece

Wax Bowl Centerpiece
Martha Stewart

Complete any table setting with a stunning wax bowl centerpiece filled with floating candles.

Wax Bowl Tools and Materials
3/4 pound paraffin

1/4 pound beeswax

1 teaspoon Vybar

One ivory colorant chip

Double boiler designated for candle-making

Metal mixing bowl

Oven mitts or hot pads

Tub of cold water

Chopsticks

Dried greenery

Mini pine cones

Dried star anise

Dried berries or rose hips

Warm skillet or heated cookie sheet

Floating candles (homemade or store-bought)

Wax Bowl How-To
1. Melt paraffin, beeswax, Vybar, and colorant chip together in a double boiler to make wax.

2. Pour hot wax into metal mixing bowl, almost to the top. Using oven mitts or hot pads, carefully place mixing bowl to float in tub of cold water. Wax will begin to set.

3. Using chopsticks, place greenery, mini pine cones, and star anise or other natural embellishments in wax in desired design. Toss in berries for pop of color.

4. Let wax cool about 2 1/2 to 4 minutes, until film forms over top of bowl.

5. Cut through film with chopsticks and pour out excess wax.

6. Pour a small amount of hot wax back into bowl. Swish wax around bowl to melt off excess wax from greenery and berries; pour out excess wax. Cool in freezer for 15 minutes until wax bowl cleanly pops out of mixing bowl.

7. Finish bowl by pressing rim for a few seconds onto a warm skillet or heated cookie sheet that is used only for wax and crafts.

8. Fill wax bowl with room temperature water, and add floating candles.

Floating Candles Tools and Materials
Muffin tin

Cooking spray

Double boiler

Wax

Candle wicks with base

Floating Candles How-To
1. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Melt wax in double boiler. Pour hot wax into muffin tin.

3. Add wicks to wax when bottom of wax begins to deepen in color. Let cool. Pop out candles.

Resources
Wax bowl-making kits are available at waxenmoon.com. Greenery, such as dried cedar, is available at flowermart.com. Other tools and materials can be found at most crafts stores.

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.