Candle Making Tutorial
Rolled Beeswax Candles
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Rolled Beeswax
Candles are fun and easy to make. Beeswax smells great and burns longer than
paraffin. You can make these candles in almost any size that suits you, from
16 candlesticks to 4 pillars, and more, using this simple rolling technique.
For rolling tapered beeswax candles, creating beeswax appliqu, and more
beeswax candle techniques, see our other tutorials on beeswax candle making.
What
You Will Need Supplies
Honeycomb
Beeswax Sheets
1/0
Square Raw Wick or 1/0 Square
Waxed Wick
Scissors
Craft
Knife
Wax
Paper (optional)
Steamer
Pot (optional)
Pie
Tin (optional)
Rolling the Candle
Before you begin
rolling your candle, be sure your beeswax
sheet is soft and pliable. If it is too cool, it will be brittle and crack
while you are rolling it. If it is brittle, use a hair dryer to warm it up, or
pass it back and forth over a pot
of boiling water, allowing the steam to warm it up. Take care not to melt the beeswax
sheet. Be sure to roll your candle in a warm room.
To keep the visible
surface of the candle unmarred, it is a good idea to place a clean sheet of wax
paper on your rolling surface (table or countertop).
Place a length of wick
along one end of the beeswax
sheet.
You can set one end
to be flush with the base end of the candle. I like to drape mine over both
sides, as sometimes what I thought would be the base looks better as the top.
Fold the end of the
beeswax
sheet over the wick.
Tuck it around the wick
to achieve a round basis for rolling the rest of your candle.
Gently, working
from one end of the wick
to the other, roll the beeswax
sheet just fractions of an inch to begin with. Work carefully and slowly
at this early stage to prevent cracking or breaking of the beeswax
sheet.
As the beeswax
sheet is rolled around the wick
and builds a larger diameter, you can roll more quickly. Continue to work from
one end of the wick
to the other, and back again.
The diameter of the
candle grows with each roll you make.
When you reach the
end of your sheet, press the edge gently into the body of the candle. The
properties of warm beeswax
are such that if you press it into a shape, it will stay that way. No adhesives
are required to fix the end of the beeswax
sheet in place.
Trim the wick
at the base to be flush with the bottom of the candle. Trim the wick
at the top of the candle to 1/4 before burning.
Priming the Wick
If you are using
raw wick
for your rolled beeswax
candles, this next step will be both useful and decorative. If you are using
waxed wick
for your rolled
beeswax candles, this next step will still add a special finished look to
your candle.
Before you begin
rolling your candle, use your craft
knife to cut off a thin strip of the beeswax
sheet. Save this strip for use when you are finished rolling your candle.
After you have
rolled your candle, use the beeswax
strip to prime your wick.
Add two inches of
water to your steamer
pot and set it to boil.
When the water has
begun to boil, set a pie tin on the top of the steamer
pot.
Place the strip of beeswax
sheet in the pie tin. The steam from the boiling water in the steamer
pot will heat the pie tin, and in turn melt the beeswax.
When the beeswax
is liquid, you can use it to prime the wick
on your beeswax
rolled candle.
Dip the wick
into the liquid beeswax
in your pie tin. Be careful not to touch the candle to the hot pie tin, as this
will mar the outer surface of your candle.
The wick
primed in the same color as your candle also adds an especially finished look
to your candle. Do this even if you are using waxed wick
to roll your candle, for a special touch.
Short Wide
Pillar
To make a short
wide pillar out of one beeswax
sheet, cut the beeswax
sheet in half the long way, to create two long, skinny beeswax
sheets.
Set the ends
together, and roll your candle. When the first beeswax
sheet ends, continue rolling with the second beeswax
sheet.
