Craft Rolled Beeswax Candles

Make winter memories of sweet smells and comforting flames on the hearth. Creating beeswax candles combines the honey-like sweet smell of beeswax and the welcome glow of candlelight.  Beeswax burns at a lower temperature than paraffin and is a simple, environmentally-friendly craft.  One of my favorite parts of these candles is the rich honeycomb texture of the wax. 

There's a lot of speculation about why a bee makes the hexagon shape of the honey comb.  Some feel that it's the simple result of adjacent cells of the hive coming together. Others feel that it is an example of evolutionary perfection, as the shape gives bees the most possible volume in which to store their honey.  This makes for a good conversation starter with new "chandlers" (which is what candle makers are called), who can come up with their own theories of why the honey comb is composed of hexagons.

• 2 sheets 8x16 inch honeycombed beeswax  (available at most craft stores)
• Ruler
• Wick – I recommend non zinc if you can find it (available from most craft stores)
• Small paring knife or scissors
• Cutting board
   

1. Lay out 1 sheet of beeswax on your cutting board.  Make sure your wax is at room temperature.  Use a ruler to measure 4x2 inch sections.  Cut the wax into the sections you marked.
2. Cut a 5 ½ inch length of wick for each candle.  Tie a knot at one end of each length.
3. Crease the edge of the wax sheet over the wick and press it firmly so that it is well sealed.  Next roll it tightly making sure the ends are even until you get to the end. 
4. Gently pinch the seam together to keep it from unrolling.  Repeat the process with the other pieces.

Did You Know?

• Bees produce wax to seal up the honey in the comb. 
• Bees perform a dance to communicate with others in the hive so they can pass on where to find new sources of food?  This communication is called a "waggle dance". The bee performs very precise movements in front of the hive to let others know where to go.