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!
Available at both BC & BCS!)
-
1.5 oz fragrance
oil
-
Presto Pot
-
Thick Rubber
Gloves w/ Lining
-
Drying Rack
-
Large Tooth
Comb or fork
-
Small Doll
Stand
-
Tongs
|
 |
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!
-
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'!
|
Instruction
Sheet: