Happy Friday and today I finish my Bee week with Beeswax candles :
Candles have been used as a source of light and to illuminate celebrations for more than 5,000 years, yet little is known about their origin.
The earliest use of candles is often attributed to the Ancient Egyptians, who made rushlights or torches by soaking the pithy core of reeds in melted animal fat. However, the rushlights had no wick like a true candle.
- Beeswax pelts
- 4 oz mason jar (container)
- Candle wax
- Melting pot (glass Pyrex measuring cups)
- chop sticks ( wooden clothes pin)
- Coconut oil
- Fill up a dutch oven of soup pot about 1/2 of the way with water and bring to a boil
- Add wax and coconut oil to the 4 lb pouring pot and place in the boiling water. This may float up awkwardly so find a way to keep it steady. I just hooked the handle of the pouring pot in the handle of my soup pot. (you can melt wax in batches if you like to melt it faster)
- While the wax and oil are melting, center your wicks in the 4 oz mason jars by wrapping it around a utensil or using a wick centering device
- If you are making scented candles, pull the wax from the pot and mix in your oils of choice once it is completely melted (about 30-45 minutes). Approximately 25-100 drops/oz depending on how potent your oil is.
- Carefully pour the wax mixture into the candles and set aside to cool 45-60 minutes before lighting.
Han dipped Beeswax Taper candles :
- Beeswax
- wick
- glass or tin container
- Stock pot
- Bowl
- Water
- Wax paper
- Roughly chop the beeswax into large pieces. Place into your deep container (I used a glass gallon jar).
- Over medium heat, heat up a large stockpot full of water.
- Place the deep container into the large stockpot. This creates a double-boiler of sorts and allows the beeswax to gently melt in the heat of the water.
- Cut a piece of wick to double your desired length. For example, I wanted 6-8″ taper candles so I cut a 16″ piece of wick. Both ends of the wick will be dipped into the beeswax and you can easily hold it up by the middle.
- Once the beeswax is melted, pinch the wick in the middle and let the ends of the wick hang down. Slowly dip the ends into the wax. Dip into a bowl of water (this will ‘set’ the wax). Shake any excess water off and dip once again into the wax. Repeat the water-wax-dipping-cycle until the candle reaches desired thickness (our tapers were about 3/4″ to 1″ thick).
- Cut the bottom inch of the candle off to create a straight bottom. Dip once more for good measure.
- Hang or lay on wax paper to dry. Let set for 24 hours before burning, baby.
Why’s Bees Wax candles !
- Nature Bounty :
- The production of beeswax is essential to the bee colony. It is used to construct the combs in which the bees raise their brood and into which they store pollen and surplus honey for the winter.The color of beeswax comprising a comb is at first white and then darkens with age and use. This is especially true if it is used to raise brood. Pigmentation in the wax can result in colors ranging from white, through shades of yellow, orange, red, and darker all the way to brownish black. The color has no significance as to the quality of the wax (other than its aesthetic appeal).
Pure Beeswax Candles on the other hand burn with almost no smoke or scent and clean the air by releasing negative ions into the air. These negative ions can bind with toxins and help remove them from the air. … Beeswax candles also burn more slowly than paraffin candles so they last much longer.
Positive in a variety of ways:
Negative ions relieve stress, boost energy and alertness levels, reduce the amount of dust mites and dander in the air, and they may help protect against airborne germs by attaching to positively charged ions that are holding other contaminants airborne.