DIY Beeswax Tea Lights

Craft you own beeswax tealights - no experience necessary!

It's easy to create these simple beeswax candles using leftover plastic tealight containers or store bought craft supplies. This project is perfect for candle making beginners! You'll just need a few kitchen supplies and any herbs or essential oils that bring you joy.
These beeswax tealights burn cleaner and smell better than those ones you've been buying by the hundred. Plus, you can make them yours by customizing them with scents and herbs.

Why Beeswax?

Beeswax is clean burning. It's actually thought to clean the air while it burns, as opposed to paraffin wax candles, which can damage air quality and deposit particulates on your home's interior surfaces.
Beeswax is easy to source locally. Check your local farmer's market, natural grocery store, even local classified listings. Chances are, you'll be able to track down a brick of local beeswax at a reasonable price.
Buying beeswax supports beekeeping, which in turn supports these important pollinators!

Gather Your Materials

• Beeswax pasteels or beads, or brick of beeswax and a cheese grater - I opted for beewax beads for this tutorial.
• Wicks - I recommend prewaxed, pretabbed wicks like these
• Tealight holders - I used the plastic holders that were leftover after burning these Target tealights, or you can buy new ones like these
• Make It Yours - (optional) Add ground dried herbs or flowers, finely chopped or ground - I used rose petals, lavender buds, and pine needles
• Make It Yours - (optional) Add Essential oil, 10 drops each - I used lavender and lemon (optional)
• Double boiler (I used a mason jar and a sauce pan.) Beeswax is a real pain to clean up, so be prepared to dedicate the inner component of the double boiler to waxy pursuits. You can use it later to make your own DIY balms and salves.
• Wooden stir stick or chopstick
• Clothes pins, bobby pins, or large paper clips
• Newspaper or scrap paper, for beeswax drippings
• Hot glue gun

Repurposing old tealight containers is an easy low-waste option, if you have them around. The cheap aluminum ones won't work. You'll need a plastic variety, like these black tea lights I purchased at Target. Freezing them hardens the wax, making it easier to remove. Dedicate an old butter knife or flathead screwdriver to help remove the old wax from the tealights.

Safety Note: goggles are nice here. No one wants flying wax shards in their eyes.

Melt the Wax

Heat your beeswax in your double boiler. If you are using a mason jar as your inner boiler, it is IMPORTANT that you heat the jar along with the water so that the glass doesn't crack. I like to set the jar on top of a few canning rings to make sure the glass doesn't overheat unnecessarily, and to keep warm water flowing under the jar.

It will take a while for the wax to soften. The wax will seem to clump up and form a ball before it completely melts. Keep your eye on it, stirring occasionally with your wood tool. While it's melting, you can prepare your containers.

Prepare the Tealight Containers

Use a dab of hot glue to adhere the wick tabs to the bottom of the tealight containers. No need to trim the wick just yet. In fact, you'll want to leave it long until the candles are set. Use your bobby pin or other device to keep the wick standing upright, otherwise they'll soften and slouch over once the hot wax hits them. Set a layer of newspaper or scrap paper under the containers now to catch any wax drips. I used a paper grocery bag.

Get your chosen essential oils and herbs. You can sprinkle a pinch of the herbs into the container, but make sure you reserve some to sprinkle on top. That's really the show stopper.

Pour the Candles

Once the beeswax is melted, it's time to add the optional essential oil. Do it right before you pour the candles. Now you're ready to pour the wax into the containers! Carefully pour in, then finish off with a pinch of your herbs.

Safety Note: the double boiler container is hot AF, so use a oven mit or pot holder

The herbs should be used sparingly - we want them to float serenely in the wax of a burning candle, not get sucked into the wick and burst into flames.

Use the first candle to get your pouring form down. You'll need to work fairly quickly, because the beeswax starts to cool immediately. If you feel rushed, you can always warm it in your double boiler again. Breathe! Take it as slowly as you need to.

Now Just Wait

I'll be honest - this is the hardest part for me! These small candles start stetting up almost immediately, but it's best to wait a full day before burning beeswax. This helps them burn more evenly and prevent any unnecessary tunneling.

Trim the wick to 1/4 inch, place in a safe holder or on a heat-proof plate, and burn, baby, burn!

Remember to use fire safety, friends. Never leave a burning candle unattended. But you know that, right?

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Save the containers, because once you've burned these candles, you can do it all again! Since I started making my own beeswax tealight candles, I haven't had to buy any more tealights. Each time you make them, you can experiment with different essential oils and herbs. This is a great way to celebrate the seasons!