Homemade Beeswax Candles

People have been making candles with beeswax forever.  It is a simple process that results in an all natural candle that is free of petroleum products, is inexpensive, slow burning, and can make a sweet smelling gift. Beeswax can be obtained at a reasonable price from a beekeeper, or often from an independent natural foods store.  You can also get beeswax from craft or hobby stores, though this route might not end up as inexpensive.  I have purchased a pound from a local beekeeper for $9.00.  

Supplies:

  • Containers for your candles.  So many options here, just make sure whatever you use is fireproof and doesn’t have any holes in it.  Think about vintage tins or cans, cute teacups, jam or jelly jars with lids, old avon containers….
  • Beeswax- 1lb (16 oz) is equal to 2 cups of liquid wax.  Keep this in mind when you are choosing your containers.
  • Candle wicking- You can find 10 feet of lead free wicking for under $2.  There are also little tea light wicks that have the metal base attached, which are around $2 for twelve.
  • Wick clips-These are the little metal things that you find in the bottom of the candle which hold the wick in place.  You can make your own by taking a flexible piece of wire, wrapping the base to the wick with it and making a coil to hold in in place in the bottom of the container.
  • Chopsticks, Straws, Pencils or something else to wrap the lighting end of the wicks around.  You will place these across the top the containers, to hold the wicks in place while you are pouring the hot wax in.
  • Double Broiler, Wooden Spoon, and an old ladle or metal measuring cup for melting and pouring the wax. You could also have the bowl that the wax is melted in be one that can be used for pouring and skip the ladling (possibly less mess).  Wax can be messy and hard to remove so I use the same tools every time just for this purpose.

Instructions:

1. Heat the beeswax in a double broiler until it is nice and liquid.
2. Cut your lengths of wick, making sure to leave extra length on the end to wrap around the chopstick or pencil.  You will trim the wicks down at the end.
3. Prime the wick by dipping it in the wax and allowing it to dry for a few minutes.
4. Attach the wick to the wick clip and secure it to the bottom.  You can use a touch of hot glue if you like, or as mentioned above, create a coil that will hold itself in place through pressure with the sides of the container. You can use the pencil or chopstick to position the wick clip.  They also make little dots or stickums specifically for this purpose.

5. Wind the excess wick around the pencil or chopstick and place it across the top of the container so that the wick is in the center of the container.

6. If you are using a clear glass container and want to avoid what is called “wet spots” or the spotty bubble looking things on glass containers, you will want to heat them up a little first.  If you are using old tins or opaque glass this can be skipped.  To heat the glass up, place it (wick and all) in an oven on 150 degrees for just a few minutes.

7.  Group all the jars or containers closely together and slowly pour in the wax. Keep an eye on the placement of the wick.  If it moves a little you can gently reposition it.

8.  If you place a towel around the grouped candles, it will help prevent them from cooling too quickly and result in a higher quality product.

9. Let the candles dry and harden for about a day.  After they are hard you can trim the wicks to 1/4 inch or so from the top of the wax.

10.  Wait about 2 or more days to burn.

To find local beeswax, honey, or homemade candles, check Pick-A-Pepper.com…fresh local food at your fingertips!

 

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