Homemade Wikki Stix
Remember the Wikki Stix post? I was hoping to make some homemade Wikki Stix, so that I wouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg for a few more.... Well, it turns out I found a post on a Teacher's forum, explaining how one of the teachers there had created her own Wikki Stix for her classroom.
Using her instructions, I got 1 toilet sealant wax ring, 1/2 cup of paraffin wax, and a ball of colorful yarn. I melted the toilet wax ring in a double boiler (actually, a bowl inside of a pot, if you want to get technical), along with the paraffin wax. Once the wax was sufficiently melted on the ring, I pulled the plastic ring part out of the wax.
I cut the wax strips into the size that I wanted them to be (I wanted mine to be about 8 inches long each), and then dropped them into the wax, a few at a time, pulling them out with tweezers after letting them soak for a few seconds.
I was supposed to let them cool on wax paper, but I didn't have any, so I did it on a cookie pan. It was hard to clean off, so I would definitely recommend the wax paper. lol
The result was "Wikki Stix" that looked and felt just like the ones that you buy at the store! I was very pleased with the results. It was so easy, and I made about 30 of them, but I will probably make about 50-60 more tomorrow. There is plenty of wax (and yarn) leftover!
The kids can keep themselves entertained for HOURS with these things!
Using her instructions, I got 1 toilet sealant wax ring, 1/2 cup of paraffin wax, and a ball of colorful yarn. I melted the toilet wax ring in a double boiler (actually, a bowl inside of a pot, if you want to get technical), along with the paraffin wax. Once the wax was sufficiently melted on the ring, I pulled the plastic ring part out of the wax.
I cut the wax strips into the size that I wanted them to be (I wanted mine to be about 8 inches long each), and then dropped them into the wax, a few at a time, pulling them out with tweezers after letting them soak for a few seconds.
I was supposed to let them cool on wax paper, but I didn't have any, so I did it on a cookie pan. It was hard to clean off, so I would definitely recommend the wax paper. lol
The result was "Wikki Stix" that looked and felt just like the ones that you buy at the store! I was very pleased with the results. It was so easy, and I made about 30 of them, but I will probably make about 50-60 more tomorrow. There is plenty of wax (and yarn) leftover!
The kids can keep themselves entertained for HOURS with these things!
Thanks Bethany, I'm inspired. I think I might do this.
Lord knows I have the yarn for it.
www.windingtheskein.blogspot.com
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Thanks for informative post. I am pleased sure this post has helped me save many hours of browsing other similar posts just to find what I was looking for.So, you can use it for your really good outcome just about this good topic.
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I can't believe you made those, that is just unbelievable. they look like the real thing you buy in the store, actually they are prettier
you are so creative it amazes me
deezie
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Debra, you sure do have the yarn for it! If you make them, I would love to see pictures!
Deezie, that is so sweet of you to say. Thank you so much for your comment!
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Bethany - what a great job you did! Those would also make wonderful gifts for kids. Yours are much prettier than the ones my kids had.
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When you make these tomorrow will you be using wax paper?
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Bethany, you come up with the most creative ideas!
I love visiting your blog; it seems that I always leave with a new idea or inspiration.
I will definitely try making up a batch of these for Chico. He loves to create, and I'll bet he would really enjoy these.
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Oh, this is so cool! I can't wait to tell my hubby that I want a toliet bowl ring!!! My eldest is but 2yo, but this even looks fun for mommy and daddy. And I need to learn stuff like this, right? Thank you so much for sharing!!!
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JM, I didn't end up making them yesterday because things got so busy, but I think I'll be buying Wax paper tomorrow, and then I'll continue making them with the paper. It would be a lot easier to clean up!
Azul, Ashley, thank you so much! And I'm so glad that these posts can give you guys some inspiration!
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Now who would have thought of a toilet ring? That's not something I think of using in any other way!
Thanks for sharing this, I think I'll try it!
:o) Rachel
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Hey there. I have been enjoying your site! About the wikki stix. I didn't know what they were (my kids are grown) so I looked em up.
What if you took the yarn and wrapped it around and around (leaving small spaces)a piece of cardboard which is wrapped in waxed paper. Now you dip the whole lot in the melted wax. Take it out, let cool and cut the yarn at the bends on both sides? Wouldn't that speed things up a little. If you try this let me know how it goes.
SMILE!!!
Robin
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Robin, that is such a FANTASTIC idea! Thank you!!! I will have to try that!
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I tried this yesterday. I found that 1/2 cup of paraffin wax makes it less sticky than the real wikki stix (says my resident 7 yo expert). Luckily, I bought 2 wax rings so i threw the other one in. Making it, for the less math inclined 1/4 cup paraffin (Gulf Wax at wal-mart in the grocery section,ask for it) for 1 wax ring. The stickiness passed the test then.
To cut down on the mess I would need to clean up, I used a broken wooden dowel rod to stir and help scrape the wax off the ring. I tried both 100% cotton yarn and 100% acrylic (the scratchier kind). 100% cotton is most like the real thing and works better.
To dip the yarn I made it twice as long as needed, looped many of them on a u-shaped wire (actually a croquet wire that I found while looking for a different wire) and dipped it down until the wax almost touched the wire. it is good to leat it drip off as much as possible our you will have a lot of excess wax at the end. Then lay the wax coated yarn on the wax paper and slide the loops off the wire to do another batch. Come back later and cut the unwaxed loop off the ends. in the end, the only mess to clean is the bowl since i don't care about the dowel rod. we did around 230 of these. Merry Christmas to 7 young cousins!
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good afternoon! i am a math teacher who teaches a class for students who failed the math section of our state academic skills test. i have been desperately searching for something new to use as manipulatives for 3 dimensional nets and measurement. i saw a commercial for a new wikkistik type product and hoped that google search would reveal a site with instructions for making them on my own. THANK YOU for offering this info! i am going to the store right now to get the supplies!!!! i have 11 and 9 year old sons and they are anxious to make them with me- wow! an activity that is actually interesting enough to lure them away from their electronic devices without the arguments! i will bookmark this page and let you know how we do.
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Thanks for the post.
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thank you so much. I was about to start experimenting on how to make my own. you saved me a lot of time and now I have a great gift idea for birthday parties.... I am delighted.
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Great post - the best toys and materials are the simplist I find for kids - often "they love the wrapping more than the present" as they say"
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Where do you buy toilet ring wax? I have never heard of it! I assume it is safe for kids. Thank you for this great idea...those sticks are so pricey.
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I just bought the ingredients to make the wikki stixx and then actually made them. While the recipe is genius, the ingredients are actually not safe for children. I went to the site that makes wax toilet rings that I bought (www.gunk.com) and they have an MSDS (material safety data sheet) which says specifically that this product can't be ingested...and you know kids put everything in their mouths. Not to mention, there is a skin sensitivity issue with wax rings. I am worried that kids play with these homemade ones and then touch eyes or mouth or bottom...could be poisonous or cause skin irritation.
I just wanted you to know. I got all of the supplies but then I got worried about the ingredients.
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I wanted you to know I made them and blogged it with a link back to you.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/PrairieLadyCraft/752984/
I haven't visited your blog for awhile and wanted to tell you congratultions on your pregnancy!
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Thank you so much for posting these instructions. I made these for my four year old daughter and she loves them. She plays with them for HOURS! I'm so glad I found your site!
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I cannot stop being impressed by reading every post and I actually feel excited as never.
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I am going to make these with my kids, as soon as I get a toilet ring. I also need to see how much paraffin wax I have (and if it's too old).
We just got a few sample wikki stix the other day, and my crafty 9 yo son was telling me he's used them at church. I know he will love to have a set of his own! All the kids will!
April E.
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What a lovely idea! These look beautiful and like such fun. I wonder if beeswax would work?
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Life is a work of art designed by the one who lives it.
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Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth
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Thanks so much for posting this! I'm 11 years old. I got Wikki Stix at a restaurant and wanted to get some. When a search revealed that you could only get 50 packages at once, I sighed sadly. But when another google search for "How to wikki stix" revealed this page, I was so happy! They were really simple to make once you had the ingredients. I just threw about 20 8in. long strings into the wax like you said and pulled them out with tweezers and that worked fine!
When you said "I cut the wax strips into the size that I wanted them to be" it confused me a bit because I think you meant to say "I cut the string into the size that I wanted them to be". Also- my toilet bowl ring didn't have a plastic inside! It still worked fine and the proportions were fine. The final product worked and felt just like the real ones, but the color of my string (purple) kind of turned to a weird brown because my wax ring was brown... oh well. Great post!!! THANKS!
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I pinned this today. These will make a great activity for a busy bag! Thanks for sharing.
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Dip the wax strips into the wax?
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