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Wax Tablet : Activity 1

Make a wax tablet

Follow the instructions below and make a wax tablet. Use the wax to write out your favourite poem, to practise letter formation or to display your class rules.

Instructions

1. Cut a rectangle 15cm by 20cm out of thick card. This is your base.

2. Now cut out two small rectangles approximately 2cm by 15cm.

3. Cut out another two small rectangles approximately 2cm by 20cm.

 

4. Put all the small rectangles around the outside of the base rectangle.

5. Glue them all down with PVA and make sure that there are no gaps under the joins. Press down firmly.



6. Heat some beeswax or candle wax without the wick in an old pan. You will need at least one small bar for a tablet of this size. You must have an adult present to help with the hot wax.

7. Pour the wax into the rectangular shaped gap on your card. Shake it smooth so that there are no air bubbles. You can also smooth it with a warm stylus. A stylus is something with a long, flat edge such as a spatula.

8. Leave to dry for at least 2 hours. If you want to make it really hard, put it in the fridge over night.



9. Now your wax tablet is ready to be written on. But remember, do not press hard when you write.
10. To smooth on the used surface, ask an adult to heat a stylus in hot water and smooth it over the wax This will get rid of the writing.

>> Points to think about

Is the wax thick enough to write on?

Is it possible to re-use the tablet after you have written on it? If so, how?

If you were going to re-make your tablet what would you do to improve it?