How to make a Candle

How to make a candle

Hello everyone! I'm here to show you some of the process of making a candle. It's not rocket science, but it does take time and patience.

Drive to the Bee Farm

I drive out to a local bee farm, located in Royce City, TX, just outside of Dallas.

Sabine Creek Honey Farm

The Talberts are as sweet as the honey they sell. Good people, and their honey is divine.

Hard at work

I pick up 5 or 6 blocks of wax at a time, since it's at least a 45-minute drive out to the farm. These blocks will make about 30 candles.

Wall of Wax

I'm always fascinated that tiny bees made all this wax.

The wax

The wax itself is strained with a cloth, to get all impurities out, like little bits of bee leg or antenna that fell into the wax. The blocks are about 5-7 pounds each.

I can't fit the blocks into the double boiler, since they are so big, so I have to break them down.

Breakdown

This is the hardest, most labor-intensive part. I have to break the wax up into smaller chunks. I usually freeze the wax, then put it in a box, then put that box in a bigger box, then mail it to myself, the I smash it with a hammer!!

But to save on postage, I usually skip straight to the hammer part.

Once the wax can fit, it melts in the double-boiler. It can't be melted with a direct heat source, because the wax will get too hot and catch fire!

My work space

These are just some of the tools to make beeswax. It's also what my work area looks like.

Let's make tapers!

Tapers start with wick. I usually make 6-8 inch tapers.

Baby Tapers!

I dip the tapers once to "prime" them and to straighten them.

A few more layers

Dipping the tapers

This is the longest part. The tapers must be dipped slowly enough that the candle doesn't have any wrinkles on the outside but fast enough that the wax doesn't melt off the wick.

Before 40 layers

After 40 layers

After each dip into the wax, I dunk the tapers into a pan of cool water, to help the outer layers harden faster. This also helps give the candle a better shape.

Fin!

Thanks for watching! If you like beeswax candles or want to learn more, check out my etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/honeyedlight

Thanks Imgur!