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How To
Make Wax Dipped Bears
Written &
created by Doneen St.John - Copyright ©
2003 Bitter Creek
Waxed
Teddy Bears are one of the hottest new craft trends around! They make great
gifts, addition to gift baskets, and they sell great in gift shops! Just
set these loveable critters on a non-staining surface in your home, and
enjoy the fragrance in the air when you walk by them!
These bear air
fresheners work great in bathrooms, kids rooms, offices, etc!
The perfect gift for
House Warming, Valentine's Day, Baby Showers, Birthdays or any holiday!
Tip: 1 pound of wax
will do approx. one larger bear or two smaller bears.
The
"Bear" Necessities:
-
Stuffed Teddy
Bear or other animal
- 1 lb. Pillar
or Hurricane Wax
(IGI 1343 is the most popular wax for bear dipping!)
- 1.5 oz
fragrance oil
- Presto Pot
- Thick Rubber
Gloves w/ Lining
- Drying Rack
- Large Tooth
Comb or fork
- Small Doll
Stand
- Tongs
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Melt
wax in the Presto Pot to about 170 - 190 degrees. With white or light
colored bears no dye is required, but on darker colored bears you may want
to add dye to match the color. This will cut down on the white wax
"dandruff" later. Add your fragrance, and stir.
Next, dip the
bear (use tongs to dip and roll him in the wax), pull him out and squeeze
out a bit of the excess wax. You'll want to wear thick, lined rubber gloves
to protect your hands when you do this, as the wax is
very hot!
Now it's time
to comb and fluff! Some people prefer to lay a rack across the top of the
pot to set the bear on, letting excess wax drip into the pot. Jan (who
helped with this article) prefers to hang her bears on a hanging chain to
comb: "I have a hook in my ceiling
directly above the pot, with a chain hanging down, with a big clamp on the
end. I clamp the ear of the teddy and do my combing. It is so much easier
to comb when its hanging, rather than laying."
She then puts the
teddy on a doll stand (small sized) with the clamp of the stand around the
neck. This helps keep the bear from falling over while you're posing him,
and allows you to position him just the way you want him to look (head
tilted, etc).
Bear Tips:
- Jointed bears
seem to work best, but any sitting bear will do.
- Also, the longer
haired bears work better for fluffing than short hairs.
- The most common
sizes used are from 6" to about 10".
- Better quality
bears will hold up better to hot wax... some cheaper glued bears can fall
apart, so keep this in mind when bear shopping, and when melting your
wax! Our BC bears
are high quality bears that hold up to temps up to 190 with no problem.
- You can dip other
types of stuffed animals besides bears too!
Other
animals can be found
here at BCN.
- White bears can
discolor with some fragrance oils! Try to use oils that are clear or very
light in color on white or pastel bears.
- Average 6 - 10"
bears sell for anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00 retail! (depending on your
area, the quality of the bear, and the decorating and packaging of the
final product, average seems to be around $20.00). That's a great profit
when you are only paying $4 or $5 per bear!
- Pre warn
customers that the bears will naturally lose scent over time, and that
since they sit at room temperature, naturally they cannot "throw" scent as
well as a potpourri burner or similar. They will need to refresh their
bear every few weeks or so. You could even sell bottles of refresher oil
(fragrance & DPG) for them to sprinkle on their bear when they're warming
him with their blow dryer!
Bear Care:
- Do not set waxed
bears on wood surfaces as the oils in the wax can stain the wood!
- These are not
toys, keep out of the reach of children!
- These are not
candles and are not meant to be burned!
- To refresh your
bear, simply use a blow dryer to heat him for approx. 1 minute.
Creative
Decorating & Packaging Ideas:
- Try adding a
little glitter or mica to the wax for a sparkle bear!
- Tie some colored
ribbon around his neck to match the different holidays (red or green for
Christmas, red or pink for Valentine's Day, etc).
- For a primitive
bear, use homespun fabric for a ribbon, and hang rusty bells from his neck
for Christmas!
- Use a paper punch
& tie a card on your bear!
- Bears look great
packaged in a clear cello bag tied with ribbon, raffia, twine or yarn!
Here are some
ideas for names:
Bear Air
Fresheners, Air Bears, AromaBears, AromaAnimals, Fluffy Stuffies, Dippedy
Dogs, Waxy Wabbits, Scented Stuffies, Potpourri Bears, Plush Scents, Fuzzy
Fragrances, Scented Snugglers, Smelly Bears, Scraggly Bears, Bakery Bears,
Bed Head Bears... just use your imagination!
Ideas for
Scents:
| White Bears: |
Angel Bear,
Baby Powder, Frost Bite Bear, Jinglebeary, Bubble Gummy Bear, Birthday
Cake Bear, Sugar Bear, Rosey Bear, Strawbeary, Fresh Air Bear (Mountain
Lake) |
| Light Brown
Bears: |
Oatmeal Milk n'
Honey Bear, Cinna-Bun Bear, Bluebeary Muffin, Sugar Cookie, Spice Bear,
Pear Bear, Buttercream Bear, Nilla Bear, Bear Naked |
| Dark Brown
Bears: |
Spiced
Cranbeary, Mulbeary, Cocoa Bear, Tea Time Teddy, Red Hot CinnaBear,
Coffee Bean Bear, Cedar Bear, Picnic Basket Bear, Log Cabin Bears,
Gingerbear |
Scents, Wax and Bears are
available at Bitter Creek!
Happy Dippin'! |
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