How to Make Candles From Beeswax Pastilles
In the Middle Ages, people burned tallow candles for light in their homes. Tallow was comparatively cheap and easy to manufacture, but it gives off a lot of smoke and smell bad. Churches, which used a lot of candles, used candles made of beeswax to eliminate these side effects, taking special donations to cover the cost difference. Today, beeswax is still more expensive, but is also still cleaner burning and sweeter smelling. You can buy it natural, which is a honey yellow color, or bleached white and in either blocks or pastilles, or pellets.
Things You'll Need
- Melting pot or pitcher
- Candle thermometer
- Mold
- Mold release
- Wicking
- Mold seal
- Small dowel
Instructions
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1
Measure the beeswax pastilles and dump them into the melting pitcher. The amount you use will depend on the size of the mold you are using for the candles. Do not melt the wax over an open flame, as the liquid wax is highly flammable. Monitor the temperature of the wax; it should melt at about 145 degrees F and should not be heated above 185 degrees F.
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2
Cut a length of wicking 2 to 3 inches longer than what the mold requires. The size, or thickness, of the wicking will be about two sizes bigger than what would be required for a paraffin wax candle. The viscosity of beeswax is much higher than that of paraffin, so a larger wick is necessary. Square braid wicks tend to work the best.
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3
Dip the wick into the molten wax and leave it until the wax has completely soaked in. Tiny air bubbles should rise out of it and stop when it is completely soaked. Draw the wick out and let the excess drip off. Hand the primed wick to solidify. Hanging a small weight, such as a binder clip, from the wick will keep it straight.
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4
Spray the mold with generous amounts of mold release. Beeswax is very sticky and will become glued to the inside of an unprotected mold. Some candle makers do not recommend using polycarbonate or metal molds, while others only recommend using caution and copious amounts of silicone-based mold release or cooking spray. If you are unsure, contact your mold's manufacturer for their recommendation.
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5
Thread the primed wick into the mold and seal the end of the wick and wick hole with mold seal. Make sure the mold seal covers the wick and the hole completely and all the edges of the putty are sealed to the mold. If in doubt, use more mold seal. It is reusable, so waste is not an issue.
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6
Wrap the other end of the wick around a small dowel--a pencil will make a good substitute. Position it so that it is centered in the mold. Pour in the molten beeswax. Fill the mold almost to the top and then let the candle cool and harden. Top help prevent sticking, use a small heater to keep the candle warm and slow the hardening.
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7
Unwrap the wick from the dowel, remove the mold seal and gently tug the candle out of the mold. If you are using a latex mold, you should be able to peel the mold off the solidified candle. Trim off the excess wick.
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