Making beeswax candles instead of other kinds of candles is exciting to those of us who are interested in environmentally friendly alternatives. This candle making craft is healthier for the Clean burning candles maker, and it produces a much smaller carbon footprint than other candle making crafts do.
Begin with the fact that it takes no heat source to make beeswax candles. To make other candles, you must use energy to produce heat to melt the wax. You must use more heat to bring your wax to the recommended high temperature.
These candles offer other environmental benefits, too.
Making beeswax candles is fun; it’s satisfying; but this craft is also loaded with environmental benefits.
You probably know that most candles boast four elements: wax, scent, color, and wick. Candles made of beeswax possess the same four elements, but look at the advantages.
1. Wax: When you make beeswax candles, you use a natural, renewable wax. When you make paraffin candles, you use a crude petroleum wax.
2. Scent: Candles made from beeswax give you their own natural fragrance. Other candles rely on chemical oil additives to create scent.
3. Color: Making beeswax candles results in beautiful, naturally colored tapers and pillars. Other candle making wax requires chemical dyes for similar results.
Beeswax produces elegant candles.
Making beeswax candles is a candle making craft that is sure to satisfy those who want eco-friendly lights, but there’s more to making beeswax candles than ecology. Yes, they look great in your garden beside the hot springs pool, but they are also chic enough to light a luxury spa. They fit perfectly with a rough hemp tablecloth, but they can also hold their heads high among crystal goblets and fine china on linen tablecloths. These candles can be even more elegant than other types of candle.
Making beeswax candles elegant is not difficult either. It is, in fact, child’s play. Young children can learn to make stylish candles in minutes.
Instructions for making beeswax candles
All you need for each candle is a sheet of natural beeswax (8″ x 16″) and a 9″ length of primed cotton wick.
1. Place the beeswax sheet on a flat surface with the short end toward you.
2. Lay the wick along the short end, extending out beyond both sides.
3. Roll the end of the beeswax tightly over the wick, pressing gently with your fingers to warm the wax and make it stick together where the roll meets.
4. Continue rolling slowly, being careful not to press down on your candle.
5. When you reach the other end of the sheet, gradually and gently push the beeswax against the rolled candle, letting your warm fingers seal the wax shut.
6. Trim the wick even with the base at one end. Trim the wick to ¼” length at the top.
You now have an eco-friendly, elegant, sweet-smelling candle. Make a pair, and you’re ready to set a stylish dinner table.
Want tapers instead of straight candles? Simply warm the end of the candle with the palm of your hand and gently press it into a taper.
Want pillars? Add a second beeswax sheet and keep rolling, sealing the sheets together with the warmth of your hands.