Holiday DIY | Gifts from the Sea! Lemon Beeswax Sea Shells
It is that time of year for many when gifts are exchanged. Gifts given from the heart to friends and family!
I have always loved giving gifts which I have made by hand. I feel as if I have given a piece of my heart when I share this way. Whether I'm in the kitchen or with a needle or paintbrush it is a time when I smile, a true joy for me.
And the best part, I don't have to engage in the commercial craziness...
Don't get me wrong, I love the decorations and festive spirit! It is a time to celebrate!
This year, I am able to focus on making a few special treats; I would love to share them with you. Shhh, luckily my oldest daughter Wren is on a retreat right now…she won’t see this! She may or may not be a recipient of this goodie! This fall when the girls visited with their families we spent time on the beach. So much laughing and of course shell hunting. This year our Christmas tree will feature some of our finds…I’ll share more of that in another post!
We’re making a gift from the Sea! Lemon Beeswax Sea Shell Candles
Beeswax candles are nice to make. A great gift! They have a natural sweet smell and when they burn they actually act as an air-purifier. I use only organic Essential Oils when I choose to add a scent!
To Make our Candles
- Organic Beeswax (12 oz.)
- Organic Red Palm Oil (12 oz.)
- Cotton Candle Wicks (12)
- Super Glue
- Organic Essential Oil (optional)
- Modge Podge
- Sea Shells
We collected a number of sea Shells and I let them bake in the sun for a while after washing thoroughly.
- Lay the shells on a clean dry surface and coat each side with Modge Podge. This allowed the beautiful colors in the shells to come through. Typically they fade when the shell dries, but the Modge Podge maintains the luster.
- After they dried I used a drop of super-glue to attach the wicks to the shells.
Now the wax!
Place the beeswax in a measuring cup and set in a saucepan of water. Heat on low-medium heat until the wax is almost melted. At that time add the Red Palm Oil.
Do not use high heat!!!
Don’t want any fires here! When all is melted, add 6-8 drops of essential oil if you wish and then pour very carefully into the shells. Let everything cool!
Pretty aren’t they? A sweet Gift from the Heart and the Sea!
Never know...you may find one in your stocking! Perfect with just a light lemon scent too!
These are great gifts for friends and family alike. I’ll use a few on my back patio and and perhaps they’ll show up in a few Christmas Stockings! A great way to remember fun family time! I’ll be sharing more gifts from the heart throughout the holiday! I would love to hear what you love to make and gift!
So happy you stopped by the Bird nest! Do you like making your gifts? I would love to hear about it!
And as always, blessings to you all!
Oh these are absolutely gorgeous @birdsinparadise! Thanks for the modge podge trick, I always wondered how one could get the shells to keep their sheen.
These will make lovely little stocking fillers!
Thank you @lizelle! Have you made them before? I think my girls will have fun with them. Stocking fillers they are, fits in with our "homemade" Christmas theme this year :)
I've not attempted candle making yet but love fragrant candles, your are so gorgeous!
I love these! I used to make them too and even tried with bigger seashells so I can add little ones inside too. Thanks for sharing the tutorial and explanation, I have to get my hands on some more shells :)
I've never heard of modge podge, though it has a good name! They look lovely. I wonder if they'd float in the bath?
Modge Podge is a craft product and is used to seal projects. Eveything from wood, glass, ceramics, plastics....with different formulas depending on your need. It's easy to work with, I have some sand dollar shells which are so fragile, this helps seal and strengthen the shell too. These may be a bit heavy to float, lol Perhaps a lighter shell would work! Thanks for stopping by @natubat!
Ah! Thanks for explaining. I'm always intending to do crafts projects, but rarely get round to them.
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Oh my goodness! These are adorable and look fairly simple to make! Love it!
I like the mod podge idea, I agree, shells tend to look faded and that would do the trick. ♥
They are easy to make, I hope you'll try making them. Thanks @squishysquid!
That is such a cool idea so creative, I just called my wife into see them and she to Loves them and wants us to make some, so a visit to the beach looking for shells is going to be needed :)
How fun! I hope you do, and let me know how they turn out! They're great gifts, perfect time of year to go on a beach walk! :) Thanks @tatoodjay!
Its not looking good for this weekend the forecast os for rainy days but lets see how the weekend goes :)
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Oh my God, I can’t believe I missed this. I love that you did a DIY post, and it’s about making candles? You’re a genius. These are amazing gifts @birdsinparadise. We would make such fun neighbors ::wink:: ::wink::