Floating walnut shell candles are so easy to make and are a wonderful project to do over the holidays. These are made using only natural materials- leftover walnut shells, cotton wick and pure beeswax. Walnut shell candles are based off of a traditional Czech holiday tradition and I was introduced to them through the Waldorf community where they are quite popular. Every winter we made a batch of them to give away as gifts for friends during the holidays. They are also lovely used as gift toppers or during advent. 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.

Materials:

– walnuts
– 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
– tongs
– egg carton
– decorative bowl (for lighting the candles)

Looking to save some time? Check out the Walnut Shell Candle Making Kit in the shop that contains all of the materials that you’ll need!

Instructions for making walnut shell candles:

Step 1: How to melt beeswax

Place your seamless melting pot 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 half way with water, then 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 open walnuts without a nutcracker

This is the method that I use to crack walnut shells open perfectly in half: Hold a walnut in your hand with the narrow end pointing downwards. Place the tip of a knife into the small crack at the walnut’s base. Make sure that the serrated edge of the knife is not pointing towards any fingers and that you are holding the walnut securely. Use a twisting motion to crack the walnut open at the seam. I recommend choosing walnuts that are larger in size and aren’t as tightly closed at the base so you’re likely to have more useable halves. Save the walnuts inside to eat and use a brush to clean out the inside.

Step 3: How to prepare your wick

While your wax is melting, prepare your wick by cutting pieces that are approximately 1” long (you’ll trim them at the end, you so cut them at a length that is slightly longer than you’ll need)

Step 4: How to prepare the wick

Hold the wick using your tongs and lower it into the melted beeswax for about 10-15 seconds, until you no longer see air bubbles. This allows the wax to soak into the wick. Lift your wick out of the wax, immediately transferring to the bottom of your walnut shell letting the excess wax pool at the bottom of the shell (this is what will help the wick attach). Hold the wick in place for 5 seconds, or until you see the wax harden and the wick is held in place. After a few seconds (after the wax is hard, but still warm) you can gently straighten the wick. If the wick accidentally becomes detached, simply add another bead of beeswax to the bottom of the wick and repeat. As an alternative, you can attach the wicks after the beeswax has been poured. I use both methods.

Step 5: How to pour your candles

I find that holding the shell and pouring is the most precise method, but if you aren’t comfortable doing so you can place the shells into the egg carton first and pour directly into them there. Let dry and store in a cool and dry place.

How to use floating walnut candles:

Fill a decorative bowl with water. Always trim wick before lighting. Float your walnut shell 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 will burn anywhere from 10-30 minutes based on how much wax you used. I usually extinguish them before they burn out completely for safety, but you can let them burn all the way down and they will go out on their own.
— 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.