BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Candlemaking New Articles

If you like beeswax candles, there are new articles posted at the Candlemaking site for your reading pleasure.

Check out:

Taking a Glance at Beeswax Candles at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4884.asp

-and-

Making Hand-Rolled Beeswax Candles at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4890.asp

I'll have to go read this. I love rolled beewax candles.

I've made a couple of them with success. My biggest problem is getting them rolled tightly enough with leaving finger prints on the outside.

Beeswax even added to your recipes, gives a great strength to Soy and a wonderul sweet aroma!

Thanks for the links.

It should be mentioned that the rolled "beeswax" candles are NOT pure beeswax. Most manufacturers of the sheets add some paraffin to the wax so that it can be rolled more easily. Also, the dye used in the colored sheets adds paraffin. The added oil based products can bother people with allergies and is not as good for your walls (and lungs) as pure beeswax.

Would the answer to this be to make beeswax jar candles so that rolling isn't necessary? Or is that a possibility? Has anyone given it a try?

Some background - I never dreamed I would be making candles, but 2 years ago, my son-in-law had a massive stroke, while my daughter was 5 months pregnant. With a very disabled husband, a baby on the way, a full time job AND a home based business that was doing very well, she needed some help. Mom and Dad drop everything and come. She has now quit her job and does the business full time but still needs help. I have made thousands of candles and have even taught myself some elementary mold making.

I have only made beeswax candles - I have never attempted any other type of wax. I admire the knowledge needed to use all the scents and colors, but I have lots of allergies and scented candles really affect my health.

I have also never tried them in jars - beeswax burns very hot - I have been told hotter than other waxes. I know one person who makes wood lanterns with fancy cut-outs, a hole in the top and a mirror in the back. He has to use the paraffin votives because beeswax ones will crack the mirrors with the heat. I would be afraid to pour it directly into glass containers. We have had requests to do this, but have refused them all. We do make pillars to go into glass contains with large openings, but do not pour wax directly into them.

I have also never used the stuff you roll - it is just not pure beeswax and I just don't have the time to do everything.

Now pure beeswax makes beautiful molded candles. You can make very large candles (I have made some molded ones that are 13 inches tall, hand dipped tapers that are 12 inches long) and they do NOT slump in the heat of summer. I have made candles with over 3 lbs of beeswax in them and taken them to outdoor shows in the summer with no problems. Even very little items do not melt in the sun. Items will soften a little in full sun in 100 degree weather, but will not distort. I wilted much more than the candles! The other person selling candles was in the shade and packed up and went home - her candles just could not take the heat.

Following is a picture of a rearing horse, about 10" tall. I have taken this candle to summer shows with no problems. If you notice,there is a light "frosting" or haze on the candle. Pure beeswax does this over time, especially when it is cool. Running it under warm water, or a pass with a hair dryer removes it. On highly detailed candles, it improves the detail. It is personal preference whether one keeps it or removes it.

What a beautiful candle! Thanks for all the excellent info! There are several beekeepers in our area and I might see what they have to offer. I wonder if the price of beeswax might become higher from the issues regarding bees.

Yes, both beeswax and honey prices have gone up. On honey, do read the labels. So much now is imported from China, also the honey is being cut with corn syrup -especially store brand honey. Honey tastes very different according to what plants the bees are pollinating. Darker honey tends to be stronger than lighter honey. Store honey has been heated to prevent crystallization - The heat destroys some good stuff in the honey - that is why a lot of people want raw honey.

One of my daughter's suppliers lost 80% of 4,000 bee hives in a 2-week period last year. Sure hope it doesn't happen again!

There are several people who are selling beeswax in 1 lb blocks on Ebay. If you buy enough to fill a flat rate box, the total cost is fairly good. The local beekeepers may not have all the equipment to really clean the wax. Also, you only get about 1/2 lbs of wax per hive.

I made this rooster mold up in a better wax (lighter in color) and took first and champion ribbons at the local county fair. Again, a it is a large candle that we have sold at outdoor shows - doesn't melt or slump in the heat. We pour our beeswax at about 170 degrees - it melts aroung 150 degrees. Don't recommend closed cars in summer (they will melt then) but you can keep a pure beeswax candle in a window in your house. The sun striking it releases a bit of the scent of honey.

How interesting! Do you think the worst of the bee crisis is over? Thanks for the advice on the best resources for beeswax. I like the idea of a natural scent of honey. It's funny, but when I make candles using fragrance oils I reach the point that I can't smell and enjoy them at all! Fragrance overload?

Your rooster candle is spectacular and the details are so crisp! What a lovely item for a French Country room or any country kitchen! Thanks so much for sharing your pictures!

Thanks for the nice comments on the candles.

We hope the worst is over with the bees. Time will tell.

The same fragrance overload happens with beeswax. Daughter and I can't smell it. We had two teenage girls working for us last summer. The first day at work, they came in and their faces lite up. They said how good it smelled in the office. A week later when they came in, their faces drooped - both exclaimed "we can't smell it anymore!" My daughter also does soap with essential oils which does contribute to the smell, but one of her show booths is just candles and many people comment on how good it smells - we can't smell a thing!

The horse and the rooster molds I purchased on Ebay. See my other post about good molds for serious candle makers. The molds are very good and will last longer than the standard hobbyist type mold one usually gets on Ebay. These are two of the big ones, but there are some smaller ones listed also. The seller is selling off some molds from a candle factory that they purchased.

Beeswax picks up a lot of detail and not having to overdip keeps the detail. We wick the candle when we pour it. Beeswax needs a square braid all cotton wick.

Billie

eillib, Those are some of the most beautiful candles I've seen in a long time.

Thank You!!