Saturday, September 15, 2012

Safe and Natural Wood Finish for Babies


I love working with wood.  I remember spending many hours in the garage with my father while I was growing up.  I would watch him working on his projects.  Inevitably I would gather some wood scraps and start constructing my own little projects.  It meant so much to me that my ideas were never silly to him.  He helped me out and made me feel important.  I wonder, if he had brushed me to the side while he was busy, would I still have a fondness for hanging out with wood in the garage?  How often do I brush aside the seedlings of my children's desire for learning?  
I've been wanting to make little wood toys for my friends when they have babies, but I've found myself waiting because I was unsure of how to finish them.  Babies explore with their mouths and wood toys are perfect for their little hands to grasp and to hold.  Here is a tutorial for making a natural wood finish that is non-toxic, safe for your toys, and safe for baby.  It also gives your wood a nice warm color that is smooth to the touch.


Two ingredients, olive oil and beeswax!
I found a lot of inspiration from this video, and this tutorial.



You can purchase beeswax at Michaels.  I used a 40% coupon and it ended up being $11.  A little expensive, but I used just a tiny bit of it.  I don't think I will ever need to buy it again.  It might be nice to go in on it with some friends and there would still be tons left over.  I used just regular olive oil, a disposable container, and a 1/3 c measuring cup.  The ratio of olive oil to beeswax is four to one.  So use whatever measurement that works for the size of container you have.


Shave off one part beeswax.  It's pretty hard stuff, so it shaves off nicely.  


Pack it into your measuring cup.  Pack it in.


Pour it into your disposable container.  The beeswax sticks together, so make sure you kind of break it up a bit so it melts faster.


Pour in four parts olive oil.


Melt the finish in your microwave.  You'll want to take it slowly so that the beeswax melts all the way, but don't go to far, oil can catch on fire.  I'm a bit paranoid about stuff like oil and fire, I've seen it happen before, so here's how I took it:

melt for 30 seconds
give it a nice careful stir
melt for another 30 seconds
stir for a bit
melt for 15 seconds
stir
15 seconds
stir until the last pieces disappear

That looks like a lot, but it's really just a minute and a half :)

Now your finish has to set up.  You can leave it on the counter for a few hours until it cools, or stick it in the freezer for a while.  I totally stuck mine in the freezer.


Look at your lovely finish!
To apply, use a paper towel to rub it into your wood.  Use a clean paper towel to rub off the excess.  Let the toy set for 24 hours so that the finish has time to dry and set up.

I also like the advice given in this tutorial from Wee Folk Art for applying your finish.


And there you have it!  A lovely wood toy that is safe in baby's hands and in baby's mouth.



18 comments:

  1. That has to be the most adorable toy I've ever seen! What type of saw do you use for it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. what kind of wood is recommended safe for baby toys?

    ReplyDelete
  3. SagePay Error Code 4020 is the most common error faced by the users where they did not enter the IP address in their Administrative Site for their web server. An error code message displayed on the system’s screen indicates the problem of the SagePay Error 4020. For other queries, the user must contact the SagePay Error Support number 1844-436-1893. Here users will get better ways to treat the problem of the 4020 error code.

    Sage Pay Error code 4020
    SagePay Error Code 4020
    SagePay Error 4020
    SagePay Error 4020
    Error 4020 in Sage Pay
    Error Code in Sage Pay 4020

    ReplyDelete
  4. informative!
    Worried about QuickBooks Support ? if you are not able to fix QuickBooks Problem, get in touch with QuickBooks expert for instant solution.
    Dial QuickBooks Support Phone Number Arizona 1-844-908-0801

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great things you’ve always shared with us. Just keep writing this kind of posts.The time which was wasted in traveling for tuition now it can be used for studies.Thanks Bento lunch box

    ReplyDelete
  6. Friend, this web site might be fabolous, i just like it. woodworking plans free to download

    ReplyDelete
  7. A wood-burning stove or a wood stove has several uses. Despite the developing technology that we have today, the efficiency of these wood stoves are still unquestionable. The world today now has gas stoves and even electric stoves. There are even ones which have touch features just like how you operate your iPhone. If you would have the chance to talk to the people from generations before ours, the hi-tech devices which were invented in our generation never touched their imagination. Still, it is very good to know that a lot of people today are still using wood stoves in their homes. That could be because not all people are fond of embracing technology. It could also be because it has been their habit to use wood stoves in their homes or in their businesses. woodworking plans

    ReplyDelete
  8. So here are a few focuses and subtleties to note when you're picking the wood for your carpentry project. WOODGreen Furniture

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very efficiently written information. It will be beneficial to anybody who utilizes it, including me. Keep up the good work. For sure i will check out more posts. This site seems to get a good amount of visitors. https://penzu.com/public/868eff4f

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome info! I am looking forward to see more postsby you! singapore best safe deposit box

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I found your this post while searching for some related information on blog search...Its a good post..keep posting and update the information. https://www.storeboard.com/blogs/ecommerce/how-to-choose-the-right-safe-box/5467840

    ReplyDelete
  14. On this page you can read my interests, write something special. Gali result

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with extra information? It is extremely helpful for me. safe box

    ReplyDelete
  16. I can see that you are an expert at your field! I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. Thanks for all your help and wishing you all the success in your business. safe deposit box singapore

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nice post! This is a very nice blog that I will definitively come back to more times this year! Thanks for informative post. safe box to buy

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...