Excerpted from post:Thicker versions of these lovely lanterns decorated with pressed wildflowers are also available from Bee Natural. I was lucky enough to attend a skill sharing workshop at my son's Waldorf school last week where I learned to make these using balloons.
The key to this is not to overheat the wax or the balloon will pop. I used my crockpot with one of the slow cooker liners you can buy at the grocery store. I heated the beeswax to about 180 degrees and then just kept checking it and adjusting the heat setting accordingly.
The balloons I used were 9" helium quality, purchased in a pack of 25 from the dollar store. Fill the balloons with COLD water and dry the outside of them.
Gently but quickly, dip the balloon into the wax and pull it out. Allow the wax to set for a few seconds before dipping again. Continue until desired thickness is reached, we did about ten dips per balloon. After the last dip, immediately lower the balloon onto a clean, flat surface (I used parchment paper). This will create the flat bottom for the lantern to sit on.
We left our lanterns plain, but if you wanted to decorate them you could tack a fall leaf or pressed flower on with a bit of warm beeswax and then quickly dip a final time.
After the lantern has cooled for a few minutes, hold it over the sink with the tie of the balloon facing down. Pinch the top of the balloon and carefully cut off the part above your fingers with scissors. Gently let go of the balloon and it will release the lantern as it empties.
Finally, if you want to even out the top of the lantern and make it a bit stronger, quickly roll the top of the lantern through the hot beeswax one last time. Allow it to drip upside-down for a few seconds and then flip it back, swirling to flatten any remaining drips. Place a tea-light candle inside and enjoy!
We also hand dipped some smaller candles and made holders out of seashells and moss:
Note: I got the 5 lbs of beexwax I used in these recipes from Bee Natural, where it is sold in bulk by the pound (much more reasonable than the local craft stores).
