How To Make Beeswax Candles – Easy, Healthy and Affordable!
A Faint Honey Scent . . .
Golden glow and long burn time are just the beginning of a handmade beeswax candle’s charm. Unlike paraffin candles (which release carcinogens like toluene and benzene into the air) and their soy counterparts (which are often derived from GMOs), beeswax candles actually draw toxins out of the air with their cheerful flame as while you knead sourdough in the kitchen, sip wine in the tub or make shadow puppets on the wall. No really! According to this article:
Beeswax releases negative ions when it burns. Pollen, dust, dirt, pollutants, and any other junk in the air all carry a positive charge, and that is how they can be suspended in the air. The negative ions released from burning beeswax negate the positive charge of air contaminants, and the neutralized ions are sucked back into the burning candle or fall to the ground. Many air purifiers and water filters harness this effective negative ion technology.
Beeswax candles effectively reduce [the symptoms of] asthma, allergies, and hay fever by drawing pollutants out of the air.
Now, are you ready for the best part? Making beeswax candles at home – either as a gift or for yourself – is little more than a melt and pour process. In the tutorial below I’ll show you just how easy it is.
But First, A Few Considerations . . .
Because beeswax candles are slow burning, they require thicker, sturdier wicks than what is used for paraffin candles. Below is a chart that can help you determine roughly what size you need.
| Container Diameter | Type of Wick | Wick Size |
|---|---|---|
| Tealight | Cotton, square is best | #4/0 |
| Votive | Cotton, square is best | #3/0 |
| 2-2.5″ | Cotton, square is best | #3 |
| 2.5-2.8″ | Cotton, square is best | #4 |
| 2.8-3.2″ | Cotton, square is best | #6 |
| 3.2-3.5″ | Cotton, square is best | #7 |
| 3.5-4″ | Cotton, square is best | #8 |
Keep in mind that the way a wick burns will vary based on many factors, including the size of the container and how refined the beeswax is. It may take a little experimentation to find the perfect size for your wax/container combo.
Another consideration is whether to incorporate essential oils for scent. While many people do, I’ve read here and there that burning essential oils may transform their molecular structure into toxic byproducts. This lady is not so sure and neither am I, but I skipped them just in case.
And finally, 100% beeswax candles tend to burn hot and can sometimes crack the jar they are poured into. My friend Cara over at Health Home & Happiness came up with a brilliant solution to this for beginners who are just figuring things out – blending beeswax with another “cooler” oil like palm oil. In the tutorial below I’ve used coconut oil because it’s what I had on hand. Are you ready to get started? Okay then!
How To Make Beeswax Candles
This recipe makes 40 ounces of candle wax. I divided mine between four 12 oz containers so that they were filled but not overflowing. Of course, you can make them smaller or larger!
- 1.5 pounds filtered beeswax (see tutorial below if your beeswax is unfiltered. I recommend using organic because contaminants such as pesticides that are used on industrial produced hives will collect in the wax.)
- 1 cup coconut oil (where to buy coconut oil)
- about 20 inches of cotton wick – avoid ones that contain a metal core as even the zinc ones may be contaminated with lead or tin and see above for thickness recommendations
- wick clip (optional – I didn’t use one but it does help keep the wick in place when it has burned down to the last bit)
- candle jars – I used four 12 ounce jars, which left about 2 ounces worth of room left at the top of each jar
- double boiler or pot with smaller pot fitted inside
- thermometer
- four pencils
- scissors
Step 1: Prepare your candle jars
Cut a length of wick that is about 2 inches longer than the height of your jar. Tie the wick around a pencil and position it over the center of the jar.
Step 2: Melt wax and oil in a double boiler
In a double boiler (or large pot of simmering water with a smaller pot resting inside), gently melt the beeswax over low heat. When the beeswax is fully melted, add the coconut oil and stir until everything is melted and combined. Bring the mixture to about 160-165F.
Step 3: Set your wick
To do this, first pour a thin layer of beeswax in the bottom of your jar, taking care to get some on your wick . . .
and then gently press the tip of the wick into place with your finger or the end of a pen, and pull on the wick so that it hardens nice and straight - this will take about a minute or less.
Step 4: Pour the candle
Once the wick has set pour the rest of the wax/oil mixture in and then check the position of the wick to make sure it is still centered.
Step 5: Trim Wick
Allow to harden for 24 hours, then trim the wick to about 1/4 inch. Allow to cure for another 24 hours before using. When lighting your candle, direct the flame at the base of the wick so that some of wax melts and is drawn up into the wick – this helps it burn properly. Allow candle to burn long enough so the wax melts out to the side of the jar. This helps to prevent tunneling (when the middle melts down with lots of wax left over around the edges). Never leave a candle unattended.
How To Filter Beeswax
Unfiltered beeswax comes with bits of propolis and other debris that can hinder burning. If you purchased your beeswax unfiltered, here are three simple steps that will make it candle-ready.
Supplies Needed:
- double boiler
- old t-shirt or pillowcase
- mesh sieve
- parchment paper
- large bowl
Step 1: Melt the beeswax in a double boiler
Step 2: Pour over a sieve
To get out the tiniest bits of grit, line your mesh sieve with a t-shirt or old pillowcase. Also line the bowl beneath with parchment paper. When you you’ve got everything in place simply pour the melted was through the sieve and wait for it to harden. Voila, you’ve filtered beeswax!
But seriously, I don’t know you could grind grain.
Rhonda R
What a great post! A friend of mine just moved into a motor home and is going to travel the country. He burns candles in there a lot and I was concerned about toxins being created in such a small and confined space. I think I will make him a bunch of these for Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing.
Rhonda R´s last [type] ..Felt Headband with needlefelted Tree and Sun – OOAK Wearable Art – Hippie Gypsy Fairy Festival Artistic Organic Wearable Art by FabFiberDesign
Kirstyn
THANK YOU for posting this!!! Just the last two weeks I’ve been researching candles and trying to figure out how to do beeswax– would you believe some of the major candle supply websites don’t sell beeswax?! And a lot of the books only teach fancy candles, not the basic pour into a container option that I was looking for. This is absolutely perfect!
Heather
Where you share where you actually purchased your supplies? Did you find things online or locally?
Heather
Hi Heather! With the exception of the coconut oil I purchased everything locally. My neighbor is a beekeeper and although she didn’t have any wax to sell when I dropped by she was actually just getting rid of some wicks I could use. Another farmer supplied the wax and I found the jars at Hobby Lobby. Hope that helps!
Lauren @ Empowered Sustenance
Thanks for linking my article! This is such a great tutorial, and the step-by-step photographs are so helpful (not to mention beautiful and with perfect lighting!). That chart about the wick diameter is great–that is certainly key to having homemade candles work out. Love this!!
Lauren @ Empowered Sustenance´s last [type] ..Onion Herb Coconut Flour Biscuits
Heather
Hi Lauren! Your post was what inspired me to try to make my own, so THANK YOU! P.S. I have tried to pin your article oh so many times and it never goes through. I can pin everything except that one article – argh!
Leah
Beautiful! Did you source organic wax?
Heather
Yes, I did! I bought it from the same family that I buy honey from
Lisa
Did the candles turn out okay using the coconut oil? I’m thinking about making these for Christmas gifts!
Heather
Yes, they did! I recommend testing one or two before giving them away to make sure you have the wick size correct, but the coconut oil has not caused any problems for me.
Alyse
I love how beeswax smells. Would tallow work instead of palm oil? I just rendered some for the first time ever and i get why it was used in the past for candles. It’s very wax like.
Heather
It might affect the ideal wick size slightly, but tallow can definitely be used. The only thing is some people do not enjoy the fragrance it gives off when lit.
Alyse
Also for a more heat stable container and I had a box gathering dust in a closet. I’ve used the cute jelly canning jars for beeswax candles for gifts. They never cracked. Has that been true for anyone else?
Jesse M
Where is the best place to find beeswax to make these??
Jesse M
Sorry when I posted my comment I hadn’t refreshed the page and didn’t see all the other comments. I see you got yours locally, so I will have to see what I can find
Heather
Ha, no worries! Good luck!
Jesse May
Thank you, Heather! I’ve only recently learned that my love for a candle’s cozy flame was probably adding to my allergies! I was under the impression that beeswax candles might be too difficult to make, so I was thrilled with today’s tutorial! I can’t wait to try this!
Nichi
Thanks for this great How-To. We made these last year and I was happy though not ecstatic with the results. The oil seems to be the missing piece for us. It was difficult to find this info on line anywhere, so I’m excited to give this another try. I LOVE the smell of these candles.
Jessica T.
I found it funny that you posted this today as I made my first beeswax jar candles this past weekend! I found it really difficult to find anything online about making beeswax jar candles…if there’s even any info on making beeswax candles at all, they all assume you’re dipping to make tapers or rolling them. So, I’m very glad to have this as a resource now and I might use some of your suggestions for next time.
The wick size chart is VERY helpful…I scoured so many candle-making sites to try to find that info, but couldn’t and in the end took a shot in the dark and bought some #5 to use as wicks in the pint Mason jars (about 2 1/2″ in diameter) I used as containers. But I noticed you didn’t even have #5 on your chart…is there a specific reason for that? I’m finally burning my candles tonight and it seems that the wick is burning too fast and then “drowning” somewhat in the wax…does that mean I need a bigger size? Do you know if “diluting” the beeswax with coconut oil would help with that issue some? Thanks so much for any info or ideas…I’m so excited that someone finally wrote a post/tutorial on this!
Jessica T.´s last [type] ..Simple Essential oils – Part Five: A giveaway!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen
I love this tutorial! When I was in Target the other day, all the candles were tempting me, but I didn’t end up getting one. There’s just something about candlelight, isn’t there? Now, I wonder if I can find local beeswax…
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen´s last [type] ..Giant Peppermint Oreos
Lan
Wonderful post! You are AMAZING!
meg
How does beeswax compare to soy candles? I tend to avoid soy (for food) like the plague; but curious for air toxins?
Portia
Heather, can you add fragrance?
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Katie
My friend gave one of these to me for Christmas and it is fantastic, I can’t wait to try this out on my own!
Thanks for sharing,
Katie
Lisa
How much did your beeswax cost? Just trying to get an idea. I’d love to try a batch until I have a successful one and seel a few! Would love to make decorative ones too, but healthy
Mistie
Great tutorial. I LOVE beeswax candles.
Mistie´s last [type] ..Mistie Dawn’s Television Debut!
Sarah
Did you have any trouble with the candles burning normally in the jar? I’ve heard beeswax is good for pillars but not in jars.
Heather
I haven’t had any issues so far, but this is my first winter to use them
Kellie E
Maybe I’m blind, but I can’t seem to find where you wrote the beeswax to coconut oil ratio. Is it 50/50?
Kellie E´s last [type] ..~Giveaway~
Heather
Hi Kellie! It’s 1.5 pounds (weighed) beeswax to one cup coconut oil
Kellie E
Thank you Heather!
Kelly
Thank you so much for this post!
I found bee’s wax here http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=bee+wax&x=18&y=10
Trisha
Thank you so much for all the info!! My brother has bees & I asked him for wax when he came to visit this weekend, brought me 20 lbs because I told him I want to try making candles. He said he never could get them to burn properly but would love to see me make it work. However,he also didn’t have your candle wick chart. Sooooo….I’m going to try your recipe & I will let you know how it turns out!! Very exciting!
gloria
question about the coconut oil… have you found any info on how clean coconut oil burns? I was curious about this and didn’t want to compromise the ‘clean’ burning beeswax candle. I haven’t tried it yet, just trying to do some research before I start this whole process. Also, I have been looking for a reliable source with the information about cleaning the air, do you know of one? thanks!
Heather
It is my understanding that coconut oil is very clean burning. Not sure on a resource for cleaning the air, though1
Kate
Do you know of any safe fragrance? I am assuming the closest thing to 100% safe would be essential oils…is there nothing else we can use to create a nicely scented candle?
Heather
Hi Kate! As I mention in the post, some say essential oils are okay and some say not. I personally don’t scent my candles, but I wouldn’t tell anyone not to
April
What size was your wick?
Mayra
Can you add any scent to these candles? Also I have the clear beeswax what is the difference ? Sorry I’m new at all of this
April
Thanks for the tutorial! I’m happy to see I can substitute palm oil with a different kind of oil
(palm oil is not sustainably produced and is often the cause of driving out natural habitats in the rain forests as many are cleared out/levelled for the production of palm oil)! Thanks again!