How to Make Sculpting Clay With Beeswax

Mold beeswax into small treasures.

Sculpting clay made from beeswax and plant dyes make a natural and non-toxic craft. When warmed in your hand or in the sun to a soft consistency, beeswax sculpting clay easily forms into different shapes and miniature creations. To preserve your sculpted creations, let the beeswax cool and keep it away from any heat source.

Things You'll Need

• Glass or enamel pan
• Plants for dye
• Wooden spoon
• 1 lb. filtered beeswax

Instructions

1. Stir 1 cup of the plant material into 2 cups of boiling water and simmer for an hour to make one color of dye. Use beets for red, dark hollyhock flowers for purple, goldenrod for brown and the leaves from chamomile for green.

2. Divide the beeswax into four equal pieces and place one of the pieces into the simmering dye. Continue simmering for 20 minutes while the beeswax melts and absorbs the dye.

3. After 10 to 15 minutes, allow the beeswax dye mixture to cool. Remove the beeswax and form it into a ball. Place it on a paper towel to allow any excess dye water to be absorbed.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to make additional colors.

5. Cut off a small piece and hold it in your hand or sit it in the sun to soften it and make it more pliable to work with.

6. Attach different colors of beeswax clay by pressing with your fingertips; the warmth will help soften and melt the colors together. To create more colors, blend two colors together by kneading them.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave some beeswax its natural pale honey color to use in sculpting.

• Experiment with different nuts, berries and plants to achieve assorted colors.

• You may want to wear rubber gloves when handling the plant dyes.

• Beeswax is flammable, so be careful not to let the dye water evaporate.

References

• The New England Unit of The Herb Society of America: Dye Garden Plant List