Candle Rolling Workshop
It’s been a little while since members of our Beehives for Schools project were able to meet up with our Head Beekeeper, Yvonne. Almost one year ago we met at Oughtibridge Primary School for a day of training, focusing on honey extraction and swarming. We couldn’t have predicted then what was just around the corner - but 12 months on, we felt that it was high-time to join the world of virtual events and get a long overdue catch-up and workshop in the diary.
At the start of the year, foundation staff and members of our school beekeeping teams met with Yvonne on Zoom to learn how to roll beeswax candles. Everyone taking part received a pack of materials from the foundation made up of sheets of beeswax, bee pins and wicks. A few extra bits and pieces from around the home such as a pair of scissors and a craft mat or chopping board were also needed to create the perfect rolled candle!
The workshop was a great success, with Yvonne expertly guiding us through the creation of not one...not two...not three...not four…but five candles! We looked at how to make different sized candles and how to use a second beeswax sheet in a different colour to create striped and spiral patterns. And with hairdryers a useful tool for warming the wax and making it easier to work with, we were all grateful for Zoom’s handy mute button!
Candle rolling is a fantastic activity for children and adults alike and the finished products are perfect for selling at a school fair. Younger children will enjoy creating simpler candles while older students might like to experiment with different sizes and designs.
Please find some additional details about the benefits of beeswax candles along with safety information available to view here. For those who would like to explore further project ideas, we would recommend the following books:
'Beeswax Alchemy' and 'Beehive Alchemy' by Petra Ahnert
'Honey Potions' and 'Beauty and the Bees' by Dr. Sara Robb
'Honey Crafting' by Leeann Coleman and Jayne Barnes
A big thank you to Yvonne and everyone who was able to join us. For any further details or questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.