Synopses & Reviews
Modern beekeepers - take notice! Here we have the answer to one of the most common questions related to beekeeping: what do I do with all of this beeswax? In fact, the possibilities are seemingly endless! As beeswax has multiple holistic and decorative uses, projects can vary from beauty and health products to household items.
Beeswax Alchemy is your first step towards using excess beeswax to make beautiful, useful gifts for friends, family, and even yourself. It offers a basic introduction to the art of extracting and purifying beeswax, as well as countless ideas for what to make with it. These include skin care creams, candles, and other home products like beeswax ornaments and wax fabric. So, get ready to suit up and collect some beeswax. There's so much that you can do with it - and now you know how!
"This is the book I've been waiting thirty years for. It has absolutely everything beeswax--candles (and bless you Petra for the info on wicks), balms (to make you pretty), creams (to heal both body and soul), soaps (so much on soap!), and many, many home products to make and use every day! Excellent instructions. Bountiful information. Beautifully done." - Kim Flottum, beekeeper; author of The Backyard Beekeeper, Better Beekeeping, The Backyard Beekeeper's Honey Handbook; and editor of Bee Culture magazine
Synopsis
Featuring over 40 DIY projects that illustrate how to transform one of the world's most natural ingredients into tangible creations, Beeswax Alchemy is the perfect amalgamation of recipe craft book and beekeepers' guide.
Considered the miracle of the beehive and used by humans for 8,000 years, beeswax remains a vital ingredient to society and is still used as the foundation for many household products in the twenty-first century. Learn from apiarist and entrepreneur Petra Ahnert about the history of beeswax, as well as tips and techniques on how to mold it into beautiful, reusable creations.
An introduction details the different ways in which beeswax has been used throughout history, as well as the products that contain it today. You'll also find an explanation of the different types of beeswax, as well as insider tips on working with beeswax, followed by step-by-step instructions for making candles, balms, salves, creams, scrubs, soaps, ornaments, art, and more out of beeswax (either your own or store-bought). Color photos illustrate the processes and show finished results throughout. Among the useful and beautiful things you'll learn to make out of beeswax:
- Hand-Dipped Birthday Candles
- Lip Balm with Cocoa Butter
- Rosebud Salve
- Solid Natural Perfumes
- Honey, Oats, and Beeswax Soap
- Beeswax Luminaries
Whether you are an expert beekeeper or experimental crafter, Beeswax Alchemy is the best guide for anyone aspiring to make wellness-boosting treasures to keep or gift to friends and family.
About the Author
Petra Ahnert is the creative force behind Beehive Alchemy (beehivealchemy.com), a growing artisan soap, body care, and home goods business. After a serendipitous meeting with a beekeeper at the library in 2002, Petra soon had a couple hives of her own and extra honey to sell. Of course, with the honey, comes beeswax, too so she sought out ways to make good use of the wax she had on hand. Since that time, Petra has first looked to her own life and products she uses to replace them with items she could make herself with the honey and beeswax she had on hand. Eventually, those products made their way into the product line-up for Beehive Alchemy.