Make your own Beeswax Candles

Candles have been illuminating homes for over 5,000 years and were originally made from boiled animal fat. During the middle ages, beeswax was discovered to be a wonderful material for making candles that burned well and didn’t emit a strong odor.

Your child can create his very own beeswax candles using sheets of colorful beeswax and cookie cutters! Not only are these candles simple to make, they also make great decorations for any holiday!

What You Need:

• Sheets of beeswax (can be found at your local craft store)
• Cookie cutters
• Wick
• Scissors
• Hard cover book

What You Do:

1. To start off, select a cookie cutter shape for making the beeswax candles. Candles need a base to stand on so selecting a shape that balances in its own is a good idea. Cookie cutters in the shapes of trees, stars, gingerbread men, or houses are good options.
2. To make your candle, have your child place two sheets of beeswax on top of each other, then place the cookie cutter on top. To protect his hands, have him place a hard-cover book on top of the cookie cutter and press down until the cookie cutter goes through both sheets.
3. Repeat the process to make two more shape cut-outs, so you end up with four total.
4. Next, have your child use a ruler to measure the cookie cutter from bottom to top. Help him add 1/4 inch onto its height to determine how long to cut his wick. Then, he can cut the wick to the correct length.
5. Next, have him place the wick on top of the first two beeswax shapes, in the center, then put the remaining two shapes on top, sandwiching the wick right in the middle.
6. Finally, he should gently squeeze the edges of the beeswax so that they hold together. Voila! He's made his own decorative candle!

The finished candles are ready to be displayed around the home. Remember, candles can be dangerous and should always be lit with adult supervision. Place the finished beeswax candles on a small dish or tray to keep areas free of dripping wax.