Care and History

Molding and carving beeswax is a German craft. There are beeswax ornaments in German museums that are over 300 years old. Beeswax is a remarkable substance harvested from honey beehives.  It lasts as long as a life substance possibly can. Beeswax found in Egyptian tombs was still soft and pliable after 3500 years!

The Switzenberg’s keep their 21 hives at Bunny’s sister, Sandy and brother-in-law, Francis’ 250 acre farm in Georgetown, Del. The wax from the hives goes into making their ornaments and the honey is used by their son, Jim, who is a chef.

Creating beeswax into the antique chocolate molds is a tradition started by John’s great grandfather who was a candy maker and beekeeper in Germany.

Schwichtenberg found that when he put his chocolate candy in his store display window, the sun melted the chocolate.  At some point one of his beehives died and he noticed the wax was the same color as chocolate brown. At that time, he decided to use beeswax in the chocolate molds to keep his display in the window from melting in the hot sun.

Beeswax only melts at 148 degrees and can be washed with soap and water, even using a toothbrush if necessary. This was very cost efficient and customers expressed interest in purchasing the beeswax ornaments as decorations, thus starting the craft the Switzenberg’s continue today.

Because beeswax ornaments only melt at 148 degrees, they can be hung in warm windows with little chance of melting.  If you notice the ornament starting to get soft, move it to another window that doesn’t get as hot. Sometimes a window with a complete southern exposure is even too much for beeswax.