Making floating acorn cap beeswax candles is a wonderful way to celebrate the changing of the seasons. These candles are made using only natural materials– foraged acorn caps, cotton wick and pure beeswax. Choose acorn caps that are structurally sound and have some depth to them. We use pure beeswax and pure cotton wicking as they are natural and free of chemical additives or toxins. Beeswax helps to purify the air and is a sustainable, renewable resource. These candles will burn for about 10-15 minutes and they must be placed in a bowl of water for safety. The process is very similar to making the walnut shell beeswax candles.

Materials:

– acorn caps
– pure beeswax – large blocks / small blocks
– cotton wick
– stainless pouring pitcher (I use the standard size to melt the wax, and the mini size to pour so that I have more accuracy)
– metal cookie cutter
– candy thermometer
– egg carton
– decorative bowl (for lighting the candles)

Looking to save some time? Check out the Acorn cap candle making kit in the shop that contains all of the materials that you’ll need!

Instructions for making acorn cap candles:

Step 1: How to melt beeswax

Double boiler method: Place your seamless melting pitcher inside of a larger pot. Place a metal cookie cutter under your melting pot so that the melting pot does not sit directly on the bottom of the larger pot. Fill the larger pot with water until the bottom quarter of your melting pot is submerged. Place the beeswax inside of your melting pot 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 170 degrees F.

Step 2: How to prepare your wick

Cut a length of wick for each acorn cap that is a bit longer than the final length that you’ll need. You will trim them at the end. 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.

Step 3: How to pour the wax

Place the acorn caps upside down in an egg carton. Carefully pour the beeswax into each acorn cap until it reaches your desired height. Be careful not to overfill. Let the wax harden slightly, then add your wick to each cap. Straighten the wick if necessary. Let the wax cool and harden while being careful not to disturb it. Trim the wicks once the beeswax has completely hardened. Let dry and store in a cool and dry place if not using immediately.

How to use acorn cap candles:

Fill a decorative bowl with water. Always trim wick before lighting. Float your acorn cap candles in the water and light them! You may want to try to keep the candles towards the center of the bowl depending on the type of material your bowl is made of. These candles have a lifespan of about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your acorn cap and how much wax you use. They will extinguish themselves at the end.
— DO NOT light these candles if they are not floating in a bowl of water and they must be under supervision when lit- once the beeswax melts down, the shell can burn and potentially catch on fire. If you hand these out as gifts, you can include a little note with instructions on how to use them.

Leftover beeswax and cleanup:

Pour any remaining melted beeswax into a silicone mold to save to use again later. Use a cloth (designated for cleaning wax) to wipe up any remaining wax residue while it is still hot. If you’re using a designated melting pot or pitcher for just wax, you can also just choose to let it solidify inside of the pitcher and then stick it back on the stove to re-melt it at a later time.