DIY: HAND-ROLLED BEESWAX CANDLES

I'd been wanting to make beeswax candles for a while so when Southern California had almost 2 straight weeks of rain, we gave it a go. They are really simple, as you just buy sheets of honeycomb beeswax and roll them. No hot liquid, no melting, no pouring, and (almost) no mess. 

SUPPLIES:

- Honeycomb beeswax sheets (16.5" L x 8" W), any color

- Candle wick (available at most craft stores)

- Scissors

- A towel or mat for your work surface

HOW-TO:

The first thing you'll want to do is figure out how big you want your candle to be. The whole sheet of beeswax will make a very thick pillar candle, a 1/2 sheet will make a smaller pillar and a 1/4 sheet will make s standard taper sized candle. To divide your beeswax sheet, carefully bend it in half a couple of times (back & forth) until you get a crease. Then, gently separate along the crease. (You can also use scissors, but the beeswax is a bit sticky and may leave some residue.) Repeat this step with each half if you are making tapers.

Next, cut a 9" piece of wick (about an inch longer than the width of the sheet) and lay it across one end of the beeswax sheet. 

Now it's time to roll. This requires a little patience, as the beeswax is somewhat fragile. Gently press the wick against the beeswax so that it will stay in place. Then SLOWLY create a lip at the end of the beeswax sheet and start rolling it around the wick. The besswax may crack and crumble a bit at this point and that's ok. The heat of your hands will warm up the wax so you can press it back together.

Once you get it going, just lightly roll it until you reach the end (the roll doesn't have to be super tight). I find that it works best to use the palms of my hand to keep everything steady and straight. And this is the part that kids can do, just encourage them to go slowly so that the wax doesn't break. When your finished, use your thumb to gently press the edge into the candle so that it stays put.

And that's it! You have your candle!

I think they make lovely gifts: hostess, housewarming, Mother's Day, etc. They would also be a nice homemade gift for a teacher.

Or you can just keep them and enjoy. : )