How To Make Beeswax Candles thumbnail image

How To Make Beeswax Candles

After honey, the next most common byproduct of the beehive is beeswax. Beeswax candles made from 100% pure beeswax are of the highest quality. These candles burn longer, emit a natural honey aroma, and make perfect gifts, especially for individuals with asthma or allergies triggered by artificially made candles.

Unlike paraffin candles, which are made from petroleum-based paraffin wax, or soy candles, beeswax candles produce a clean, smokeless flame. This makes them ideal for maintaining a healthier home environment. In this blog, we’ll explore how to make your own beeswax candles.

What You Need to Make Your Own Beeswax Candles:

Choosing A Beeswax Candle Mold

To get started with making your own DIY beeswax candles, you will need candle molds. Molds can be made of tin, plastic, or silicone (or flex).

For my operation, I use mostly silicone molds because they are flexible. This flexibility makes it easier to remove the finished product, and these molds should last for hundreds of pourings.

Investing in durable silicone molds is highly recommended for those who want to make beeswax candles consistently.

Choosing A Candle Wick

Use only cotton wicks for your homemade beeswax candles. If pouring votives, it’s safer to buy pre-clipped wicks.

When buying the candle mold, it should state the correct wick size. If you choose a too small wick, the finished candles will burn a tiny flame and may go out prematurely. If the wick is too large, the burning candle could drip significantly.

Ensuring the right wick size helps your candle develop a steady and even flame, producing that sought-after warm glow in your beeswax candles.

What To Do When Melting Beeswax

When melting beeswax to make candles, it's important to use a double boiler to melt the wax slowly and evenly.

Use an old 4-quart pot or larger for water and a smaller pot or tin can for the beeswax. This prevents the wax from overheating, which can dull it and cause discoloration.

Be wary of adding essential oil or other additives that affect candle burn or these candles' purity and burn time. Maintaining the simplicity of pure beeswax ensures clean-burning candles without harmful substances sometimes found in commercial scented candles or paraffin candles.

What Is Slum Gum?

When first rendered, beeswax may contain debris or impurities, commonly called slum gum. Melt the wax carefully, and avoid stirring to ensure any foreign material settles at the bottom of the pot.

When pouring the melted beeswax, stop once you see the debris appear. You can reserve the leftover wax (slum gum) for various non-craft uses or remelt it for application on tea cups and other non-candle purposes.

Preparing The Candle Mold

To prepare your candle mold, ensure the top (the bottom of the candle) is level. Use a small level to ensure your candle will burn evenly and consistently.

If the candle isn’t level, it may cause the wick and wax to burn unevenly, leading to drips and imperfections. If the candle mold is split, you may place a few rubber bands around it to keep it tightly secured. You may also consider using mold release before pouring wax into mold.

Straining Your Candle Wax

For straining, I recommend using a 1-liter soda bottle. It’s reusable and transparent, allowing you to measure approximately how much melted beeswax you pour. After you’ve filled the mold, any remaining wax can be returned to the boiler.

After a few molding rounds, you’ll notice a thin layer of wax buildup inside the soda bottle. Refrigerate this to harden it, then chip it off for reheating in future pours.

Filtering out impurities impacts the quality and ensures a more aesthetically pleasing finished candle.

Adding Features To Your Candle

Some people like to add essential oils like lavender or mint to enhance their candles' scent, further customizing them with natural properties. Cocoa butter is a potential additive for a lower melting point and softer appearance.

For those considering adding textures or scents, wait until you have fully melted and strained the wax. You can then introduce an essential oil or fragrance oil to create different fragrances. Remember, consider how oils such as coconut oil may affect the overall process due to their properties.

Once you add these essential oils and aromatics to your beeswax, continue with the pour as usual.

When using metal, glass, or hard plastic molds, spritz the molds with a 3% silicone-based mold release spray. Avoid using alternatives like vegetable oil, which may bond with the wax. This will ensure that your pillar candles come out with minimal fuss and a smooth finish.

Pouring Wax Into The Mold

When pouring the wax into the mold, make sure your mold is stable and fill it in one steady motion. Stopping mid-pour can cause lines as the melted wax begins to harden. You could also consider using mold release before pouring wax into mold.

For molds with intricate details, ensure the wax melted fills in all the tiny spaces. You can release the rubber bands and loosen the candle from its form after 15-20 minutes to avoid ripping once it's completely set.

If working with a mason jar, allow the candle to harden fully before removing or trimming the wick. Taking out the candle too early from mason jars can damage the wick positioning. Ensure you get the wick centered properly on mason jars to avoid uneven burn when you use the candle, which you can ensure with wick stickers. Smaller taper candles burn differently, so ensure the wick is also trimmed to about 1/4 inch before applying a wick sticker.

The process is similar for larger candles or those created in glass jars, but extra caution is needed when handling the wax. Large candles typically require a bigger wick size to ensure they burn properly, whereas smaller ones like votives or tealights may require adjustments for a finer flame.

Candle-Making Is A Worthwhile Craft

Making beeswax candles is both a rewarding and sustainable craft. Using soy wax, beeswax, or filtered beeswax allows for natural and clean-burning homemade candles. Whether you plan on making candles for business, using a candle as a gift, for home décor, or even as part of your own hobby business, making beeswax candles opens up endless creative possibilities.

For more details on pouring candles and how to make beeswax candles as a local beekeeper, I’ve made a video showing you the step-by-step process I use.

Good luck with all your beeswax items!

Shop Mann Lake for a wide selection of candle molds and candle-making supplies.