In the 14th century, beeswax candles were valued highly. They were mostly used in churches because of their purity and cleanliness. These candles are extremely popular today due to their smoke-free, long-burning and pleasant honey odor.
Beeswax Candle
Making a beeswax candle can be fun for the whole family. They are easy to make. How are they made? And from where? Before we get into the how, let’s discuss where beeswax candles are made. Beeswax is made from honey and bees. The buzz of honeybees moving from one flower to the next is what comes to mind when you hear beeswax.
What about a honeycomb that drips with honey? It is quite fascinating to make beeswax candles. The bees collect nectar as they travel from flower to flower. To make one pound of honey, they must visit (individually), up to 2,000,000 flowers. Honey is made from the floral essence (nectar).
Did you know?
Honey bees consume the honey and it passes through their wax glands at the sides of honey bees, creating wax scales. It takes approximately 800,000 scales to make a pound of beeswax. You now know the origin of the expression “busy as a bee!” The beekeepers take the honeycombs out of the honeycombs and strain the beeswax. The beekeeper removes the honey from the cells, melts it down, and then cleans up the mess. This material is made into bulk beeswax that can be used to make candles or sheets.
Beeswax can also be used to wax wooden windows and drawers, quilting and in cosmetics, furniture polish, leather boots conditioner, and many other uses. Okay. Let’s get back on track with making beeswax candles. There are three types of beeswax candles: rolled, melted (to pour), or dipped. We will be focusing on rolled candles made from beeswax. They are so easy and fun to make.
Rolled
You can make either the rolled up or pillar beeswax candles. This is a great project for children. Beeswax sheets come in many colors and scents. I prefer the natural color, and the scent. Each sheet should be handled carefully. Place your pre-primed candle wick on the edge of the beeswax sheet. Your candle’s height will dictate how long you cut your wick. To place your wick on a rectangular sheet, use the shorter side.
Final note
Pre-primed means that your cotton wicks are placed in melted beeswax until the wax stops bubbling. This is a great way to make the best wicks, and it’s easy. To cool the wicks, place them on wax paper and let them cool down. After the wicks have cooled, press the wick into the sheet. Start to roll the beeswax from the wick end until you reach the sheet’s end.
To make sure the seam is as smooth as possible, press the edges. It’s easy to make a beeswax candle. Make sure you try it around the Holidays to make those special gifts for your loved ones. You’ll be amazed at the simplicity of beeswax candle-making, whether you take the time to make hand-dipped tapers just like our forefathers or roll your beeswax to make chunky candles.