How To: Scented Floral Wax Tablets

These scented beeswax tablets are so striking, but really easy to make. They contain natural ingredients, pure essential oils and are perfect for home decor whilst providing a gentle personalised aroma to your home or to give as a beautiful gift. Each tablet is so different; even if you used identical flowers for every tablet you wouldn't get two exactly the same, which is the joy of homemade.

The wonderful thing about pressing flowers is the flowers that are the most beautiful when pressed are not the big showy ones, but the forgotten heroes such as daisies and pansies, lavender and clover. Even if you don't have a garden of your own, you can walk down the road and pick most of the flowers and leaves you will need without upsetting any of the neighbours.

All images by Amy Le Pelley.

You will need:

• Beeswax: this comes in either natural yellow or bleached white
• Essential oil
• Pressed flowers and leaves: we pressed our own, but you can buy them online (other options are dried flowers, leaf skeletons, dried fruit or spices, such as cinnamon sticks or cloves)
• Lolly pop sticks or straws
• Leather cord
• A mould: any shape is fine (I used a rectangle soap mould but you can use whatever you have available

Step One:

Add 25-30 drops of essential oil per 150g of beeswax. I used sweet orange for my natural wax and lavender for my white wax but you can use any essential oil.

Step Two:

Heat the beeswax over medium heat until it has all dissolved. Remove from the heat. Be careful, as the wax will be really hot.

Step Three:

Place pressed and dried flowers/leaves in to the bottom of the mould.
Step Four:

Wait 2 minutes before you pour the hot wax into the mould. If it is still boiling hot when you pour it, it can cook some of the more delicate flowers and make them shrivel.

Step Five:

Pour the melted wax on top of the flowers. Use a toothpick if necessary to reduce any bubbles in the wax. Although personally I think a few air bubbles add personality.
Step Six:

Push the lollipop stick into the wax once it has started to set but is still soft.

Step Seven:
Once they have cooled turn them out onto a board. I particularly like the way the flowers and leaves peak through the wax. Some stand out bold and bright and with others you just get the impression of them in the background. This gives the tablet depth, makes them look more organic and layered like a real English garden border. 

• They make lovely gifts. These ones fit perfectly into a cake pop wrappers and can be tied with a ribbon.

Step Eight:
Attach the cord and tie a knot at the end so they can be hung up. I used leather cord but you can use whatever you have to hand. Garden twine is a really sweet alternative, which doesn't cost the earth.

• You can hang them up to provide a lovely scent throughout the day, or place them in a drawer or wardrobe. That way, you can keep your clothes smelling lovely all season long, even once the rain has moved in and the flowers in your garden are just a memory.