Making Beeswax Candles

Ok, making a candle is way way way way easier than you may think.  I’m not sure if the way I do it is pc, but it seems to work and the candles burn just fine. 

First, find yourself some beeswax (other wax is fine, but beeswax is better for the environment, and your home).  I have found mine at the local markets, and also at a local Apiary, really cheap.  Next, find some beautiful glasses.  This is where op shops come in really handy.  The glasses we bought for our Mother’s Day candles were 25c each!   Baby food jars work well too, and you can wrap them in string, baking paper, ribbon, drawings etc.  The lady at the apiary gave me a few metres of wick, so I’ve just been using that, but you can buy wick really cheap on line.  I haven’t bothered using the tabs or anything, and mine are burning beautifully.

Ok, here it goes – how easy is this?

Thread some wick through a toothpick or skewer so that you can rest the toothpick across the top of the glass and the bottom of the wick touches the bottom of the glass or jar. 

Melt the wax.  In a separate glass jar in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so, or in a double boiler on the stove.   Add some essential oils (more than you think would be necessary).  Then pour into the glass/jar.  Pull the wick out once it has wax on it and straighten it, then put back in, as central as possible.  That’s it.  Leave it to cool, then trim the wick.

If you’re using a glass jar (baby food jar etc), put the chopped wax in it, put it in the microwave, then add the wick. Easy Peasy! 

I’ve never taken a class in candle making, and kind of made this all up as I went along, so if anyone has any more suggestions feel free to add them, but these candles are burning beautifully and smell delicious, even without the essential oils.

Our Mother’s Day candles used about 40 drops of essential oils each.  We made a blend of mandarin, bergamot and rose geranium, inspired by an Aesop massage oil we loved years ago!

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