Make Beeswax Birthday Candles

TEXT by Katherine Oakes | PHOTOGRAPHS by Rose Martin

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THERE ARE FEW GREATER PLEASURES IN LIFE THAN DISPLAYING HANDMADE ITEMS IN YOUR HOME. Sharing them with your family and friends is even better! This DIY is a combination of both those things: handmade beeswax birthday candles. They are a simple and sweet craft to do on your own or with a few little ones—who knows, maybe they can even help make their own birthday candles— and it is an easy project to do no matter your skill level.

Plus, there’s always a birthday to celebrate, right? So here you have it, our DIY Beeswax Birthday Candles.

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MATERIALS:

Three containers: one for the beeswax (we suggest a small recycled tin soup can or something similar) and another big enough to fill with hot water and hold the smaller container inside it. The third to fill with cool water to dip the waxed wicks.
About three or four long strands of cotton wicks (you will use each end, so you’ll have 2x as many candles as you do strands of wick).
Towels
Scissors
Block of pure beeswax (unrefined if possible for maximum benefit)

NOTE: using a recyled tin can is ideal because you don't have to worry about cleaning off the wax in the end, which can turn into a seriously messy job (trust us). You'll need a narrow but deep can (3" x 5" or so) to cut down on the amount of wax you'll need to dip the candles.

ADDITIONAL/OPTIONAL MATERIALS:

A small plank of wood, ruler, pencil or other object to drape the wicks over, if you like
Small weighted object to keep the wicks from floating to the top

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METHOD:

Using a box grater, grate the beeswax so that you have small shavings. Start with a relatively small amount since you will only be making birthday candles, or increase the amount if you'd like to make larger ones (the method is exactly the same).
Fill the tin can beeswax and fill the large container with water that’s just hot enough to keep it above the melting point. Fill the third container (also medium size) with cool water.
Take your wicks (if you are using weights attach them to the bottom before dipping to keep them straight) and either drape them over your chosen wood plank, ruler or pencil or dip them straight into the wax on their own. Dip them as deep down into the wax as you'd like. The height and size of the candles depend on how deep you dip them into the wax so use your judgement! *Side-note: the wooden plank acts as a helpful tool for dipping but is not necessary. Also, it goes without saying, if you are doing this with young children, mind the hot wax!)
Take them out of the wax and dip them into the water to cool. Dip them back in the wax and repeat this process until the candles reach your desired thickness.
Place them down on a covered surface and use scissors to cut off weights if you’ve used them and to separate each candle.
For a more rustic, handmade look simple leave them as is! If you prefer them to be smooth, roll them in between two flat boards while they are still warm.

Find a birthday cake and enjoy!

For a helpful video, we like this one here by WayOutWest BlowinBlog