How to Make Beeswax Candles with Raw Beeswax
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How to make beeswax candles with raw beeswax in mason jars for yourself or to give as gifts. It’s such an easy DIY project to do.
I’ve always loved the scent of a burning candle, especially in the cold months of winter.
There’s nothing like the beautiful flicker of soft candlelight and soothing scent.
I’ve always bought my candles already made but when I found out how easy they were to make, I started making my own.
Soy has always been my choice for candles but Roger gave me beeswax candles for Christmas a few years ago and I was hooked.
They burn cleanly and the scent is subtle yet lovely.
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I don’t like an overly scented candle so beeswax candles are perfect for me.
Being the DIYer that I am, I went searching for a way to make homemade beeswax candles and started making my own.
Luckily it’s so easy to do and now I can have beeswax candles in the size that I need, whenever I want.
The great thing about this project is that you only need a few supplies.
I used to think that you needed all kinds of candle making equipment to make candles but that isn’t the case (full tutorial in the How-To card at the bottom of the post).
Supplies for DIY Beeswax Candles
for full instructions, check out my How-To card at the end of the post
- small mason jars (or any size jar that you have), I used 8 oz. jars
- raw beeswax
- cotton wicks
- large soup pot or double boiler
- old glass measuring cup
- optional: scented oil
Let’s make mason jar raw beeswax candles!
The first time I made these I started by grating the beeswax block using an old cheese grater.
It worked but it was slow going because raw beeswax in block form is very hard.
To speed up the process I tried cutting the block into small chunks that would fit into an old glass measuring cup.
Since I already had a shredded pile of beeswax, I did a little experiment.
I put the shredded wax in a mason jar with a cotton wick, and alongside it I added a glass measuring cup with the chunks of beeswax.
They both went into a sauce pot of steaming water (no need to boil the water, just hot enough to melt the wax).
You can use a double boiler for this but I didn’t have one so I improvised.
They both melted but the measuring cup method seemed to work best.
I had to keep adding shredded wax to the mason jar as it melted and it ended up taking longer to make.
Not a total fail but the measuring cup was easier.
So…with my preferred method I continued making my candles, pouring the melted wax into the prepared mason jar.
After I poured my first jar I added more chunks of raw wax to the measuring cup to melt.
I also had some leftover ends of beeswax from the candles Roger gave me a few Christmases ago so I added them to the cup.
I knew I kept them for a reason.
Can you add scent to beeswax candles?
Short answer…absolutely!
It’s totally optional but you could add essential oil as your wax is melting.
I am a purist and love the natural honey scent of beeswax so I skip this step.
When the second batch of wax melted, I poured it into my remaining jars and let them sit out to harden.
That’s it!
You could stop right there and have three pretty homemade beeswax mason jar candles to keep for yourself or give as gifts.
Or…you could go a step further.
Looking to add a bit of fall to your mason jar beeswax candles?
Check out how simple it is to make fall leaf candle holders, and it’s very inexpensive.
See how easy it is to make beeswax candles at home?
How to Make DIY Beeswax Candles
How to easily make DIY beeswax candles with raw beeswax to give as gifts or to use in your own home.
Materials
- 1 lb. raw beeswax
- cotton candle wicks (pencils to hold wicks in place)
- 3 - 8 oz. mason jars
- glass measuring cup
- optional: scented oil
Tools
- sauce pot
- cutting board
- sharp knife
Instructions
- Fill sauce pot with water (just enough to cover bottom half of glass measuring cup)
- Place on medium heat
- While water is heating cut beeswax into chunks with sharp knife
- Put chunks of beeswax in glass measuring cup
- Once water is steaming, carefully place measuring cup in hot water
- Let wax melt
- Optional: add scented oil to melted wax for more fragrance
- While wax is melting, prepare mason jars by placing cotton wick in center of each jar
- Use a pencil to keep wick centered by wrapping wick around pencil and placing it on rim of jar
- Once wax is fully melted, carefully pour into mason jar (use pot holder when handling hot glass)**
- Make sure wick is centered
- Let wax dry
- Once wax is hardened, trim wick with scissors
- Light and enjoy!
Notes
***Use caution when handling hot glass and melted wax
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