How to Make Wax Dipped Bears

Start by gathering all the items that you will need. The process will go much more smoothly if everything is readily accessible.

Stuffed Bear or Animal

IGI 4794 or IGI 1239 Paraffin Wax

Fragrance Oil

Candle Dye (optional, but recommended for darker bears)

Double boiler or some other method of heating wax

A Pair of Metal Tongs

Drying Rack

Large Tooth Comb or Fork

Thick Rubber Gloves

Cookie Sheet or Pan

This project is easy, fun, and can be adapted easily to different holidays by simply using different bears. Cover your work area with butcher paper or newspaper. Spills or drips are most times unavoidable, and clean-up is much easier if you don’t have to clean wax off of your work surface.

Melt wax1 and add fragrance (about 1.5 oz per lb of wax) stirring well. At this time you can add dye to match darker or colored bears allowing it to blend better with the material. This will help eliminate the "dandruff" look when using un-dyed wax on a darker bear. The average wax temperature is 170-190°F.

Note: After the wax is melted, unplug the cooker so as not to exceed 200°F. If the wax is too hot, the animal may shrink and be otherwise damaged.

Using a pair of tongs, dip and roll the animal in the wax for about two minutes or until well- saturated.

Using the tongs, pull the animal out of the wax and, while wearing thick rubber gloves, squeeze out some of the excess wax.

Tip: If you put the animal on a screen over your pot, the wax will drip back into your pot for the next animal. This means less waste and less mess!

Immediately use a large tooth wire comb (or fork in a pinch) to comb or fluff the hair. Longer hair requires more fluffing. This must be done before the wax hardens.

Let cool to the touch, then put on a cooking sheet to finish the process. You can pose them at this point. To completely dry, let stand about two hours. Once completely cooled you can package them in a cellophane bag and tie with a decorative ribbon. We recommend enclosing instructions for care.

Get creative with bows, decorations, packaging, accessories and poses. Most of all, have fun!

Tag us if you share your creations on your social media accounts! You can use the hashtag #lonestarcommunity and see your beautiful creations on our community page.

Note: If you don't have a professional setup to melt the wax, you can use several methods found in your kitchen. You can use a double boiler, or boil water in a larger pot with the wax melting in second smaller pot inside the first. This method heats the wax to 212°F so let it cool slightly before dipping. Other methods include turkey roasters, deep fryers and crock pots where you can choose the desired temperature. Start slow and increase the temperature in increments for best results.

• Generally, 1 lb of wax will do approximately 1 larger bear or 2 smaller bears
• Average retail selling price for these bears is around $20 but could be priced higher or lower depending on the size, quality, decoration, packaging, and your geographic location.
• The fragrance will decrease over time if the animal is kept at room temperature. To refresh the scent, heat with a blow dryer for about a minute. This needs to be done about once a month as desired. You could even sell small bottles of fragrance oil for your customers to apply while refreshing their bears!
• Some fragrance oils can discolor white animals. When using a white or very light colored bear, try to choose fragrance oils that are as clear or lightly tinted as possible.
• Never put wax-dipped animals directly on wood. A dish, glass or metal, will protect the wood surface from stain by the oils in the wax.
• Keep out of the reach of children, as these animals are no longer toys.
• Of course, these animals are air fresheners, not candles and are not meant to burn.