Beehive Candle

Making Candles

Posted by Search Press

About

Beeswax is a lovely, natural material to work with – and smells of honey – so there is no need to add any fragrance. Simply enjoy the sweet smell of a wonderful wax.

Share

You Will Need (12 things)

  • Silicone beehive Mould (4.5cm/1¾in diameter, 5.5cm/2¼in height)
  • 50 g (1¾oz) Beeswax
  • Wick Well NT14
  • Adhesive Putty
  • Double Boiler
  • Measuring Jug
  • Metal Jug
  • Spoon
  • Scales
  • Scissors
  • Thermometer
  • Wicking Stick(s)

Steps (11 steps, 60 minutes)

  1. 1

    Melt the beeswax in the double boiler.

  2. 2

    Prime the wick.

  3. 3

    Prepare the mould; seal the hole with adhesive putty and tie off the wick.

  4. 4

    Once the wax has melted and is at 80°C (176°F), decant the melted wax into the metal jug. Do not overheat the wax: if the temperature goes above 85°C (185°F) it can discolour.

  5. 5

    Check the wax temperature. It should now be around 75°C (167°F).
If not, wait for it to cool to this temperature.

  6. 6

    Slowly pour the wax into the beehive mould.

  7. 7

    Tap the mould to release any air bubbles and check the wick is centred.

  8. 8

    Now leave the candles to set fully. Depending on the ambient temperature, this will take about two hours.

  9. 9

    When the candle has set, remove the wicking sticks, turn the mould upside-down and remove any adhesive putty. Untie the knot.

  10. 10

    Pull back the silicone mould to release the candle. It will have shrunk slightly so should slide easily out of the mould.

  11. 11

    Finally trim the wick to 0.5

    Tip
    After step 6, save a small amount of wax in the jug – sometimes, once the candle has set, the base of the candle (uppermost in the mould) may have shrunk and become slightly concave. If this happens, heat the wax you saved earlier and pour it into the small concave dip. See page 29 for further instructions.