Making hand-dipped beeswax candles is one of our favorite yearly winter traditions. They’re so much fun to make and can be made in a variety of lengths and thicknesses. We make several to give away as gifts year round as well as for our Waldorf celebration and birthday rings. If you have any odd sized candle holders, this is also a great way to create custom candles for them. We use pure beeswax to make our candles and it is my favorite option because it is a natural, renewable resource. Look for pure beeswax and natural cotton or hemp wicking and choose a wick sized based on your desired candle thickness.

Materials:

– 1-2 lb beeswax (or enough to cover the entire length of your candle once melted in the pitcher).
– melting pitcher
– candy thermometer
– cotton candle wick
– metal washers or bolts (to be used as weights)
– drying rack (or somewhere to hang candles to dry)

or check out the hand-dipped beeswax candle kit in the shop that contains everything you need!

Instructions for making hand-dipped candles:

Step 1: How to melt beeswax

Place your heat-proof container inside of a larger pot and place a metal cookie cutter under your container so that it does not sit directly on the bottom of the larger pot. This double boiler set up allows the beeswax to melt slowly and evenly. 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 if you are using one. Heat the water and simmer over medium-low heat. You want your beeswax to liquify and reach a temperature between 150°F and 170°F. Once your beeswax is liquified and reaches somewhere between 150 and 170 degrees F, remove it from the stove and move to a table covered with newspaper or kraft paper. You want to maintain a temperature within this range, so you may need to reheat the wax at some point. Make sure that the amount of wax in your pot will cover the length of your candle.

Step 2: How to prepare your wick

While your wax is melting, prepare your wick by cutting it to a length that equals two candle lengths (one on each end) plus a few inches in the center. I’m making candles that are 4 inches long, so my wick is a total of 11 inches long (not including the end weights). Tie a weight to each end.

Step 3: How to hand-dip candles

Hold the wick in the center and lower both sides of wick into the melted beeswax, making sure that the two candles don’t touch one another in the process. It should be a slow and smooth motion. When you have reached the desired depth hold for around 30 seconds, or until you don’t see any more air bubbles to let the wax soak into the wick (you’ll only need to do this for the first dip).

Lift the candles out of the wax and allow to harden before dipping again. If you’re short on time, you can dip in a bucket of cold water in between to speed up the drying process. Gently straighten the wick immediately after dipping the first few times to help shape your candle. I like to cut the weights off after a few dips because I like the tapered look on the bottom, but you can also trim them off at the very end with a knife if you’d like the bottoms to be flat.

Step 4: How to finish your hand-dipped candles

Repeat the dipping process until each candle reaches your desired thickness and hang on the drying rack, making sure that they don’t touch one another. Let candles dry for a day or so. Once they are completely dried, use immediately or store flat in a cool and dry place.

Leftover beeswax and cleanup:

I always 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.

How to use your beeswax candles:

Always trim candle wicks to approximately 1/8” before lighting. Never leave a burning candle unattended and children and pets must be supervised at all times when burning candles.