If you miss the festival - don't miss the fun!

This post comes from a mum who struggles to balance

Steiner in the home with going to normal school and working part-time.

Last year's Martinmas celebration was peaceful and focussed.

This year I missed it with a hectic work schedule.

Instead of beating myself up about it : we celebrated on a different day.

Luckily my two seeds have no concept of time.

Better to encourage some awe and wonder 

than nothing at all.

So we went for our walk in the garden with our tin lanterns.

Special occasions remind us of the need for these rituals, to do something out of the ordinary,

to make us focus on nature, simplicity, important moments;

but they need not be confined to certain dates of the year.

Make up another celebration...

the end of Autumn, the start of Winter, the start of December, etc

but do go for that walk in the dark by candlelight.

x

2 Squash Candles For 1

This gives your candle an organic shape,

and it's small and cute.

Big Seed could help with this too.

We bought a small squash from the supermarket for 40p.

 He scooped out the flesh,

 and then I melted some old beeswax candles that were finished.

Big Seed broke the apple and star into little pieces, then I melted them in the microwave.

Poured it into the squash and he held the wick in place.

Slice the sides of the skin in 4 places (like cutting an orange) but don't cut all the way down.

Then the candle will slide out.

Big Seed has placed the frogs for artistic effect.

Can you see where he poked the top with his finger?

A seed got caught in the bottom. Great!

It has a lovely rough feel from the flesh strings of the squash.

Poke the sides of the skin with a fork...

put a tea light in..

A squash candle holder too!

Walnut Boat Candles and Walnut Love!

We made some floating beeswax candles;

walnut boats, a star and an apple.

I bought these beeswax blocks from Ebay for about £1 each and some wick.

I melted it in the microwave in a pyrex jug covered in cling film.

Cut the shells in half with a small knife so they split evenly.

Dip wicks in wax first and cool.

Then fill the shells a little, place the wick in and it should stick a bit.

Then pour wax to the top, secure wicks in place with matchsticks.

The star and apple moulds use the same wick instructions.

Grease moulds first, then pour a little wax in and hold the moulds down firm on the tin foil.

Once this cools, add wick and top up.

This is great for science- as it goes from liquid to solid super fast!

Here they are ready to display.

They came out of the moulds easily too.

I filled a pasta bowl with green glass beads and water.

They are so beautiful.

Big Seed was enthralled all through dinner.

Did you know walnuts have hearts?

Each one when cut through the middle looks like this.

Walnut love

x

October Table Centerpiece and Candle Magic

This is our latest centerpiece for our evening meal.

Glass jars filled with Autumn treasures.

( Wooden acorns, leaves, acorns, nuts and pine cones.)

The glass jar in the middle has been decorated with luscious red blueberry leaves.

(Don't use ELC glue as it doesn't stick too well, some leaves peeled off.)

It burns with such a warm glow.

I put in a beeswax candle we made earlier in the year so we don't inhale paraffin wax while we eat.

A bit of candle magic:

This is a candle made of a beeswax sheet.

It burnt like this leaving holes like a web!

Love it!

x

Bees and Beeswax

We have just started to light a candle at mealtimes,

and we all take turns to say something we liked most that day as the beginnings of a blessing.

I was inspired by Childhood Magic's post about making beeswax candles - perfect!

I ordered supplies from Ebay.

Now I knew that Big Seed would ask... what is beeswax? Hmmm, tricky.

I soon realised my little knowledge of bees could be written on the back of a postage stamp!

But why didn't I know about them?

In 21 years of schooling no-one covered bees!!! Shocking. No wonder they are in trouble.

I didn't know bumblebees and honeybees were different just for starters!

My first attempt at Steiner style storytelling.

We made some bees out of wool with wet felting.

Made felt flowers and used fairy wool for pollen which the bees then took to the egg carton beehive.

When the beehive was full of pollen the wax ( yellow card) sealed the "rooms".

My first go was not that bad as I had to tell it 3 times

...and that was just before lunch! Each time he joined in a bit more.

I think I can get into this.

Ok now... for the real beeswax.

I tried grating the wax blocks with a grater - no go.

Instead I gave myself a blister with a knife...

This stuff is hard!

Some coloured beeswax sheets.

Action shot of Big Seed rolling the wick up into the candle shape.

We made different sizes.

Now there are no pictures of the melting process as it was all hands on deck!

It took a while to melt the wax in the pyrex jug in the pan, I ended up microwaving the last bit.

I poured what I had left into a paper cake case, and half an eggshell.

Our cornucopia of crazy candles.