I love glass jars and a good repurpose— so let’s turn some of those jars into beeswax candles! Saving containers for reuse is my favorite thing ever, and reusing what you can is such an important sustainable practice— certain materials can be recycled, however there is still energy and environmental pollution created to process and re-manufacture those materials into new products. Today I’ll show you how to use those containers that you’ve been saving to make beeswax candles! Beeswax is a fantastic choice for candle making as it is a natural, renewable resource. They burn cleanly with little to no smoke and emit a healthy bright light similar to sunlight. They’re the only type of candles that we use in our house!

Materials:

– clean repurposed containers (we’re using glass jars that we saved from yogurt and beauty products. make sure that the container you are using is heat safe)
– pure beeswax
– cotton candle wick
– wick sustainer tabs
– a heat-proof container to melt your wax in (I use this stainless steel pitcher)
– metal cookie cutter
– candy thermometer
– flat-sided pencils or popsicle sticks
– pressed flowers (optional)

Instructions for making beeswax candles

Step 1: How to melt beeswax

Place the heat-proof container that you are using to melt your wax inside of a larger pot. Place a metal cookie cutter under your container so that it does not sit directly on the bottom of the larger pot. Fill the larger pot with water so that the bottom of your container is submerged a few inches. Place the beeswax inside of the container along with the thermometer. Heat the water and simmer over medium-low heat. You want your beeswax to liquify and reach a temperature between 150 and 160 degrees F. Make sure that you keep eye on the wax— pouring at the proper temperature is extremely important to prevent issues such as wax sinkholes forming.

Step 2: How to prepare the wicks

Prepare your glass jars while your wax is melting. We’re going to be using glass jars that we saved from yogurt and beauty products. Cut a length of wick for each jar that is a couple inches longer than the final length that you’ll need. Dip the entire wick into the melted wax, letting the wax saturate the wick for a few minutes. Straighten the wick out and lay on a piece of parchment paper to cool. Attach each wick to a sustainer tab. Add a small amount of wax to the bottom of each jar and attach your wick. Repeat for each jar. Make sure that the wicks are straight and centered and secure with a clothespin as the wax sets

Step 3: Pouring the beeswax

Carefully pour the beeswax into the first container until it reaches your desired height. Let wax cool and harden undisturbed. It will take several hours. Trim the wicks once the wax has completely hardened. After your wax has cooled, decorate the jars with pressed flowers if desired! For glue you can choose to use mod podge or to make a simple biodegradable glue using equal parts flour or cornstarch and water.

How to use your beeswax candles

Always trim candle wicks to approximately 1/8”, just above the surface of the wax before lighting. Never leave a burning candle unattended and children and pets must be supervised at all times when burning candles. Do not burn candle down to the very bottom of the jar to prevent the jar from overheating.

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