Handmade Beeswax Candles – Simple Taper Design
Making beeswax candles is a fun activity that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy! If you are coming to this post directly, pop over here to the beginning to get details, supply lists and information on how to get started. This post focuses specifically on how to make simple taper beeswax sheet candles. This is the most simple design I will be sharing and a great one for getting started or working with groups.
Simple Taper Beeswax Candles
These are the easiest candles to make. I recommend these as a first design because they are very forgiving and the short taper at the top limits the amount of wax that drips down the sides, giving you less mess when burned. It also only requires one sheet of beeswax to make two matching candles.
First place your sheet on the cutting board, measure and cut it right in the middle to create two square sheets.
Then measure your angle cut on the first square sheet. Place the ruler at the top corner on one side and down two inches on the other to create your angle. You can play with the angle going shorter or longer, but I find 2 inches is a nice length for the taper.
Tip: Don’t toss those little triangle left over pieces, they can be heated and pressed together to create really unique pieces.
Now carefully cut your angle cut across the top. Repeat with the second sheet.
Take one sheet and gently warm it with a hairdryer. If you live in a warm climate you may be able to skip this step, but since I live in Canada I spend a lot of time warming the wax. If you don’t warm it, it will crack. Don’t over heat it though, or it will melt. Set your hairdryer on warm and use it until the sheet is just a little bit tacky. Pay particular attention to the long edge and get that side a bit warmer, you want it really pliable.
Now measure and cut your wick. Do this by placing it on the long edge and measuring up so about 1 inch is above the top of the wax sheet.
Set the wick in the wax by placing it along the long edge and carefully folding over the wax sheet. Press to ensure the wick is secure.
Finally, start carefully rolling your candle. Go slowly and apply gentle pressure (not enough to crush the honeycomb, but enough to get a nice tight roll). If it starts to get crooked, unroll, straighten up, and start rolling again. Reheat if necessary. I recommend using two hands to do this to help keep things even.
Once rolled, heat the edge and carefully press it down to seal the roll.
Voila! Your candle is finished! Repeat with the second sheet to create a beautiful pair of candles.
Learn how to make other designs here:
Dual Colored Taper
Handmade Heart CandlesI hope you enjoyed this tutorial on beeswax candles! I would love to see your creations! Please tag me on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) with your candle creations!