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I find January to be such a dark month, especially once the Christmas lights have been packed away. I think we need a bit of light and sparkle to get us through the month, so at the weekend I experimented with making my own beeswax tealight candles. It was so easy and successful (for a crafting novice like myself!) that I’ve put together an easy guide on how to make beeswax tealights for you, to brighten up your month too.
I always assumed that making candles would be difficult or would require some specialist equipment or tools, but the good news is that you don’t! In fact you can make these beautiful beeswax tealight candles in about twenty minutes flat in your own kitchen with nothing more than an old tin can and a saucepan of water!
How to Make Beeswax Tealight Candles
Ingredients
- 4 metal or ceramic containers I used old pie tins
- Approximately 300g beeswax pellets for four tealights I bought mine from Trustleaf
- 4 candle wicks petroleum free (Again, I bought mine from Trustleaf)
- Clean tin can
- Saucepan
- Newspaper
- Bamboo Skewers
Instructions
- To gauge how many pellets you need per holder, simple fill your container with beeswax pellets. Pour these into the tin can, and then repeat, as I found that to get the right amount of wax you need double the amount of pellets that your container can hold.
- Put some newspaper down to protect your work surface.
- Put your tin can containing the pellets into a small saucepan of boiling water, and keep boiling. Just take care not to get any water into your can.
- Whilst the pellets are heating in the can, stir with a bamboo skewer to help the wax break down into liquid. It should take around 15-20 minutes to completely liquefy.
- Once the wax has completely liquefied turn off the hob, and using an oven glove very very carefully lift the hot can out of the water, and slowly pour the wax into your container. Take extreme care with this as the wax will be very very hot.
- Add your wick - it may need supporting with a skewer until the wax starts to firm up again.
- Once the candles have hardened trim your wick to no more than 1cm in height.
- Burn as you would any other candle.
As with any candles always burn on a heat resistant surface, and never leave a burning candle unattended.
You can use any metal or ceramic container that you like. I picked up these old metal pies tins on eBay last year and have been hoarding them until I could decide how best to use them, but I saw that Artemis of Junkaholique made candles in enamel mugs that looked really pretty too. I’ve also seen candles made in teacups before, and you could even use tin cans!
If you want to make scented beeswax tealight candles you could add some essential oils to the pellets as you’re melting them down. Lavender is one scent that immediately springs to mind that could be really nice!
I think these beeswax tealight candles would make a lovely eco-friendly gift idea. I kind of wish I had thought to make them before Christmas, but hey, it’s a good excuse to keep them all to myself!
Here’s to a light and bright January!
Ooh these are lovely! Didn’t realise how simple it was to make candles. These will definitely be going on my list of things to make in 2015!
Thanks Kate! I hadn’t realised quite how easy it was either! I’m quite craftily challenged so this fit my skill level nicely! So fun and satisfying to make too!
Perfect idea! Thanks for sharing. Personally I prefer besswax’s honey- sweet smell, so I won’t be adding any essential oils. Husband will love them!
My pleasure! And yes, I prefer it’s own aroma too – so nice and natural!
Be careful – pure beeswax generates a high temperature in a glass container and may cause the glass to shatter – this is because the wax will retain its heat rather than just burning away quickly.