Keyword beeswax, diy gifts, homemade candles, mason jar candles
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Clean beeswax melted in a double boiler and poured into 4-ounce mason jars with braided cotton wicks. Each burns 12 hours.
What You’ll Need
2-1/2poundsclean beeswax or beeswax pastilles
#2 square braided cotton wick and 12 square wick tabsor 12 pre-waxed #2 square cotton wicks with tabs
24thin bamboo skewers
Scotch tape
12(4-ounce) mason jars
Double boiler; ladle; parchment or waxed paper
Directions
Chop large pieces into rough chunks. Melt them slowly in a double boiler over medium heat until just liquid, taking care not to scorch them.
If the wicks are not primed: cut 12 wicks about 1 inch longer than the height of the jar, dip each into the melted wax several times, lay it on parchment, and pull it straight as it cools. Thread each through a tab, crimp tightly, and trim below the tab. (For pre-tabbed wicks, just straighten them.)
Pour wax into each jar until it is about one-third full. Center the wick tab on the bottom and press it into the cooling wax with a skewer or chopstick.
Lay two skewers across the rim, one on each side of the wick, and tape them snugly to hold the wick centered. Then slowly fill the jar to about 1/4 inch below the lip.
Let the candles cool completely, without touching them. If a dip forms near the wick, top it off with a little more melted wax for a smooth surface.
Notes
Burns more than 12 hours each. Wick size matters: too small won't melt the wax, too large can overheat the jar; a #2 wick suits 4-ounce jars. Safety: melt wax only in a double boiler, never over direct heat, and never leave melting wax unattended (it's flammable); keep kids away from hot wax. Never leave a burning candle unattended; burn on a heat-safe surface away from drafts, curtains, kids and pets; trim wicks to about 1/4 inch; stop burning when about 1/2 inch of wax remains.