I have no idea why I thought making your own candles would be difficult. And why it took me so long to finally try it on my own.
If you haven’t looked into the DIY candle route before …. you might be shocked at how easy, fast, fun and customizable it is. I would highly recommend giving it a go!
How to DIY Beeswax Candles
I committed to making a clean, non-toxic option and decided to try beeswax candles. I learned that hemp or wood wicks work best to keep them burning smoothly and evenly (plus I love the sound of crackling candles!).
I used this tutorial, which was incredibly straight-forward and produced a candle that smelled great, burned well and looked professional. Here is a high-level summary of the steps:
Warm and mix bee pellets and coconut oil on the stove
Remove from heat and add essential oil(s)
Pour mixture into jars with wicks in place
Place jars in preheated oven and then turn off heat to set... that's it!
The most confusing and time-consuming part (by far!) was researching the type of wick to use. Apparently, the size and thickness of the wick needs to correspond to the dimensions and type of candle that you’re making, and there is no shortage of information out there.
After way too much research and trying to do math calculations, I purchased the materials below and hoped for the best:
Coconut oil
Essential oils (I used mostly lavender and a little bit of lemon)
Once I had all my supplies, it took me less than 10 minutes to make two candles (I doubled the recipe in the tutorial) before putting them in the oven to set. I couldn’t have been happier with how they turned out! And would highly recommend giving it a try!
Hint: For easier cleanup, use a disposable spoon to stir the mixture in step 1, and pour out the wax before it dries in the pot after step 3 (and/or reheat it later before pouring it out).
If you have any questions at all about the process or materials I used, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly or comment below (and I will help as much as I can… I am new to this!). I hope you enjoy experimenting and creating sustainable, clean, non-toxic candles! I cannot wait to try making some more with different combinations of essential oils!