Beeswax Candles
Make your own beeswax candles scented with your favorite essential oils and fresh herbs.
Yield: 2 candles
Cost: $14
Equipment
- Cotton candle wicks
- 2 8-ounce lowball glasses (or glass jars, metal candle tins, etc.)
- Masking tape or large clothespins
- Small saucepan
- Clean aluminum can or metal wax pitcher
Materials
- 1 pound beeswax yellow or white
- ½ cup coconut oil
- Essential oils like orange lavender and thyme
- Fresh or dried herbs optional
Instructions
- Place beeswax in a wax pitcher or aluminum can.
- Fill a small sauce pan with 2 inches of water and place your wax pitcher in the center. Turn the burner to medium-low and keep a close eye on your beeswax while it melts.
- While you're waiting for the wax to melt, set up your wicks. Secure the wick between a large clothespin and set the clothespin on top of the lowball glass. You can also punch a small hole in the center of a piece of masking tape with a sharp knife. Slide the wick through the hole, center the tape over the top of one of the glass and secure it on both sides.
- Once your beeswax has melted, turn off the heat and add your coconut oil. Finally, add about 20 drops of each of your essential oil and stir with a popsicle stick or plastic spoon.
- Divide the wax between two 8-ounce glasses. If desired, wait a few minutes for the wax to set up slightly and submerge a few fresh herbs into the wax to give it a pretty, earthy look.
- Let your candles cool on the counter (to avoid cracking, do not put your candles in the refrigerator) for 5 or 6 hours before trimming the wicks and lighting the candle.
Notes
While the beeswax blocks can be a little less expensive, unless you soften it in the microwave (a messy process) or have incredibly strong wrists, it’s nearly impossible to chop! At one point I thought my knife was about to snap in half when I tried cutting it, so don’t be like me. Save time—and knives—and buy the granules.
(Someone in the comments mentioned that she breaks large blocks of beeswax into usable chunks with the help of a large hammer. Just cover the wax block with a dish towel and either take it outside or set it on a concrete floor. Then whack away!)
If your candles still tunnel, simply melt them down again and try using a bigger, thicker wick or adding more coconut oil.