Making Beeswax Candles for The Holidays

Candle making is a cherished tradition from the Old Country.  At one point in your life, you might have attended art class and learned how to dip wicks in wax many times until a nice candle is formed.  Making beeswax candles makes a fun holiday activity for your family.  Get everyone together – gramps, granny, dad and kids – and make holiday beeswax candles.

Homemade beeswax candles are made with beeswax sheets.  These sheets are easy and safe for children to use.  The wax is pressed into sheets for use in making different shapes of candles.

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Beeswax is an ecologically safe candle because it is a clean burning candle wax.  It cleans the air and removes odors as it burns. 

Before making beeswax candles, gather all the supplies and tools you’ll need and set up a work area.  To make beeswax candles, you will need: 

• beeswax sheets
• scissors or a knife
• candle wicks (lead-free and toxin-free)
• a cutting board or other hard surface for cutting

First, watch the children when sharp objects are around.  Do any cutting that needs to be done and keep the knife pointed away from the body.  Work on the kitchen table so the kids can lean as they work.

1. Lay out a sheet of beeswax.  If using colored wax in combinations cut the sheet and add other colored pieces.  Lay them close together so they overlap. 
2. Take the wick and place it near the beginning of the wax sheet.  Let an inch or so of the wick hang out of the bottom of the candle and two inches out of the top of the beeswax sheet.  
3. Press the wick gently into the beeswax sheet.  The wick needs to be secured so that it will not be displaced during rolling.  After the wick is firmly in place, it is time to create the candle. 
4. Slowly, roll the beeswax sheet over itself.  Keep the rolls tight so no gaps are present in the wax.  Continue rolling until the entire sheet is finished or the candle is as wide as you would like it.  Larger candles like pillars have one or three wicks depending on width. 
5. Cut the wick at the bottom even with the bottom of the candle.  Trim the wick at the top of the candle until it is about half an inch long.

Beeswax usually comes in a light color which is the true color of the wax.  It is best to use the candle with the original color rather than the artificially colored beeswax candles.  Colored beeswax candles may contain chemicals and not burn as clean as the uncolored ones.