I go through a lot of surf wax. I’ll totally admit that I’m not nimble enough to get away with a quick scrape of wax on my board before paddling out.
I took my heavy noserider out the other day and realized it was time to stop by Core Surf for some fresh wax. I picked up several bars of Warm Water blend Sticky Bumps, since our water temp has dropped into the mid-70’s. After reading Make Something Mondays’ post about Fall Scented Candles, I was inspired to make “Holiday” Scented Wax. I used Sticky Bumps since I’ve found it holds the added scent better than other brands of surf waxes in my opinion.
I thought this would make an excellent DIY surfer gift for the season, without spending a fortune.
If you look in any baking section of a craft or big box store, you’ll find a lot of silicone molds available these days. They’ve become quite affordable, and they are super handy if you like to customize your own surf wax. I really liked the shape of this mold, since it’s a handy shape to use when applying surf wax.
First, I broke the original wax into pieces to fit into the molds. Three original Sticky Bumps bars were used to make six bars of scented wax. I popped the whole thing into the oven at around 175 degrees F for over twenty minutes. I didn’t want to boil the wax, just melt it gently. Don’t use the microwave, unless you like a gnarly mess, Bro-tato Chip.
Once the wax was completely melted in each mold, I used some Lor-Ann baking oils in Apple and Orange, and also some real Vanilla extract. Only a few drops are necessary, but add as much as desired for optimal smelliness.
Use a toothpick to stir in the oils evenly and minimize bubbles. The oil will settle to the top a bit, but that’s okay, it will be distributed as it’s applied on the surfboard.
Allow the wax to cool in the mold and harden fully before trying to remove it. Don’t put it in the freezer- that can create voids in the wax.
Done! I got a little wooden crate at the craft store for a buck, and it really classes things up as a Christmas gift. I also used a cardboard punch to make tags out of the wax box, and strung it on with some hemp.
A holiday gift that’s surfing related AND smells like food???