How to Make Beeswax Fluted Candles
Making a fluted beeswax candle can be fun. Today, many people use beeswax because It is a renewable resource, it burns longer and cleaner than other types of candles and it puts out a brighter light. Beeswax is more costly than other materials, but its naturally pleasant scent makes it worth the extra expense.
Things You'll Need
- Beeswax cubes or blocks
- Thermometer
- Metal Flute Mold
- Vegetable Spray
- Cotton Wick
- Scissors
- Wick screw
- Small Phillips Screwdriver
- Wooden Skewer
- Mold Sealer
- Double-boiler
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Fire Extinguisher or Baking Soda
- Paper Towel (or old rags)
Instructions
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How to Make a Fluted Beeswax Candle
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1
Bring the water to a boil using a double boiler. Turn down the burner temperature to a simmer. Keep an eye on the water level in the boiler and carefully add water as needed to maintain water level and the boiling temperature.
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2
Place beeswax cubes into top of the double boiler. Use the thermometer to monitor the temperature of the beeswax as it melts. When it reaches 140 degrees F, the beeswax is ready to pour into the mold.
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3
Lightly spray the inside the fluted metal mold with vegetable spray. Then pass the cotton wick through the hole on the bottom of the mold.
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4
Tie off the other end of the cotton wick to the middle of the wooden skewer and place the skewer across the top of the fluted mold.
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5
Secure the bottom wick hole with the wick screw using a Phillips head screwdriver. Cut the end of the cotton wick with scissors to about 1-inch in length. Place mold sealer over the wick screw, making sure the entire wick is covered.
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6
Pour the melted beeswax into the mold to within approximately 1/2 inch from the top.
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7
Wait for a surface to form on beeswax, then poke relief holes around the wick. These should be about 1 inch less than the depth of the mold and should not touch the wick. Do this several times until the candle is completely cooled.
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8
Reheat the beeswax to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and fill the holes you created around the wick. Do not overfill. Wait for the beeswax to cool.
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9
Remove mold sealer and wick screw. Untie wick from wooden skewer. Slide candle out of fluted mold.
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10
Cut the wick where the screw was to about 1/2 inch--this is the top of the candle. Cut the other end flush with the candle--this is the bottom.
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11
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the cookie sheet on the double boiler containing the hot water. The heat from the hot water in the double boiler warms the bottom of the cookie sheet. Sit the bottom of the candle on the cookie sheet, then slide the candle around on the parchment paper until the bottom of the beeswax candle is level. The candle is now finished.
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Tips & Warnings
A double boiler should always be used. If you do not own a double boiler, you can create one by placing an item such as a cookie cutter in the pot you are using to boil the water. Then sit the smaller pot in which you are melting the beeswax on top of the cookie cutter.
Never melt wax over an open flame. Only use gas or electric stove as the heat source. Never leave melting wax unattended. When the beeswax begins to melt, it will do so quickly. Beeswax is slower to melt than other forms of wax; however, it will melt at a lower temperature. Always have a fire extinguisher or baking soda nearby. Treat melted wax like any other oil fire. Water will spread the flames.
