Many years ago, when my husband and I were dating, we made homemade candles around the holidays.
In my holiday novella, Candleglow and Mistletoe, the heroine, a concert pianist, works in her aunt’s candle shop for the holidays. The hero is a Hollywood stunt driver. And neither of them knows anything about making candles!
Anyway, here’s instructions for making beeswax candles. Although this is a sweet romance, there’s a fun scene in the book about the size of candle wicks between the hero and heroine, that even made my audiobook narrator raise her brows. 🙂
MAKES TWO 8 X 7/8-INCH ROLLED TAPERS
Supplies:
One 8 x 16-inch beeswax sheet
One 10-inch-length braided 2/0 wick
1 to 2 ounces paraffin wax for priming the wick
Directions:
1. With a straightedge as a guide and a craft knife, cut the beeswax sheet into two 8-inch squares.
2. Use a hairdryer to slightly soften the wax. Avoid over-softening the wax by using the low heat or “style” setting.
3. Press the wick into one of the edges of a wax square; 1 inch of wick should extend beyond each side. Roll up the wax, taking care to keep the edges even. It can be a little tricky to get started and to keep the roll tight around the wick; to get a tighter roll, insert a piece of waxed paper between your fingers and the wax. As you roll the wax, move the waxed paper along so it doesn’t get caught up in the roll. This not only gives a tighter roll, but it also prevents the heat of your hands from making the wax too soft and therefore difficult to work with.
4. When the candle is rolled, press the edge of the wax into the candle to seal it, softening with a hairdryer.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the second square.
6. To prime the wicks, take small pieces of wax sheet and press them around the wicks. Alternately, in the top of a double boiler over medium heat, melt the paraffin wax. Dip the wick ends into the wax for 5 seconds and allow to cool completely.
7. Trim the wicks to 1/4 inch and the candles are ready to light.
This candle project originally appeared in the book Country Living Handmade Candles.
Candleglow and Mistletoe is available on ebook, as well as paperback and audiobook.