Beeswax Candle Making
Discover the fun of Beeswax Candle Making!
For some reason, beeswax candles are intimidating to many candle makers. It’s a love/hate relationship. Either you are going to love beeswax candle making or you won’t like it at all.
When you think about beeswax, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Did you think about flowers, honey, the smell or the bees?
When bees collect the pollen from flowers it is converted to either the honeycomb or honey. Honey not used as food is stored for the long winter months, hence the honeycomb. The honeycomb is designed to raise their brood and store excess honey and pollen. How the honeycomb is made is fascinating. Nature’s perfect engineering uses the least amount of wax to hold the maximum amount of honey.
Beeswax is easy to work with, having a lower melting point than other waxes. Beeswax burns brighter, longer and cleaner than paraffin wax. Beeswax also puts negative ions into the atmosphere to clean the air and energize the body.
For those who are allergic to scent, beeswax has a sweet natural scent so you don’t need to add more scent in your candles.
Beeswax candle making is an easy process that requires very few materials. When you want to make a beeswax candle, you first need to define what type of beeswax candle you are going to make.
There are two types: the rolled up beeswax and the dipped beeswax candles. These two types both use beeswax but both have different procedures.
Making Rolled Beeswax Candles:
Working with rolled sheets of beeswax is a great way to involve kids. The supplies you need are sheets of beeswax, wick, a sharp knife and a cutting board. Beeswax needs to be soft and pliable. You can warm your beeswax sheet up with a hair dryer or passing over a pot of boiling water. Make sure not to melt the wax, just warm it up a little. Also, make sure the room is warm when you are ready to start.
The process is easy. Basically, it is 4 easy steps.
- Place the beeswax sheet on your cutting board or work surface. Placing a piece of wax paper underneath helps you work with the sheets.
- Measure and cut the length of the wick, allowing a one each excess on either end. Place the wick on the very edge of the beeswax sheet, approximately 1/8th of an inch from the end. Press down gently making sure the wick is surrounded by wax. (Note: A word about the wick – use a cotton wick for even burning.)
- Roll wax sheet, being careful of the honeycomb pattern, making the rolled candle. Press the edge to secure it to the rolled candle. (Make sure not to roll up the wax paper. It will burn!
- Choose the best end for the top – trim the wick to ½ inch. On the bottom of the rolled candle, remove the exposed wick.
Remember to store your completed candles in a cool, dry area. The rolled up or the pillar beeswax candle is the most simple to make.
The dipped beeswax candle is more complicated than the rolled up kind but not as complicated as what you think. What makes it complicated is that you need more tools and time to make it.
Before you actually make the dipped beeswax candles, you must gather the materials needed like the beeswax, wicks, double boiler, thermometer and a stirrer.
First, you need to melt the wax using your double boiler. Use the thermometer to determine the temperature. Keep it on a temperature recommended by the manufacturer (about 145 to 150 degrees). If you want to use additives like dyes or coloring, mix it in the melted wax. Use a wooden spoon as a stirrer to mix all the ingredients.
After the wax is prepared, you now dip the wicks. You will find equipment that holds your wick while you dip it in the pot of melted wax for a few seconds. Repeat this until you have the desired thickness of your taper candles. (Note: Look for taper candle dipping molds or taper candle dipping systems at your favorite candle supply store.)
Then let the candles cool completely after dipping. After cooling the candles, then you can light it up and enjoy its wonderful beauty and its aroma.
As you can see, beeswax candle making is relatively easy, and with a dose of creativity, you can use multiple colors or cut different designs to give them a unique look. If you have not tried using beeswax you are in for a great surprise. There is no feeling quite like enjoying the soft glow and smell of a natural beeswax candle.
