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Beeswax Candles – The Hand Dipping Process

Butch Tegue

Anyone can make their own hand dipped beeswax candles. I have taught kids, teens, and adults this process for the last 15 years. I typically do this over a fire in they yard or where ever I am doing the demonstration. Here’s what you need and need to know.

You will need the following: pure beeswax, clean water, candle wicking (square braid), and a pot dedicated for dipping beeswax candles.

Here’s the process. Fill the pot a little less than 2/3 full of water. Next, put enough wax in the pot to give you one and a half to two inches of melted wax. I know this sounds very dangerous, but in fact beeswax has a much higher flash point than the boiling point of water. In addition, the beeswax will simply float on the water, making clean up very easy. Next, you need to cut the wicks to the desired length, just remember that they cannot be longer than your pot is tall. Finally, start dipping your wicks, one by one, into the melted wax. You will need to let the candle cool in between dips, they will change color from a very light yellow to a dark golden color if you are using natural wax. Just keep dipping until they reach your desired size. Once the candles have cooled a little just trim the excess wax off the end with a sharp knife and the wick with a scissors.