Making your own rolled beeswax candles is the simplest and fastest way to create any sort of candle. It's a process which at its simplest just requires a sheet of wax, a length of wick and a pair or scissors.
For best results make sure you roll your candle in a warm room. Your beeswax sheet needs to be soft and pliable. You'll find that if the working temperature is too cool the wax will be brittle and it may crack as you try to roll it. If the wax is very hard you can gently use a hair dryer to warm it up, or pass it back and forth over a pot of boiling water, allowing the steam to soften it up. But be careful not to start actually melting the beeswax sheet as this may be messy!
You'll need a clear flat surface for rolling on which could just be your kitchen table or countertop. It's a good idea to put a clean sheet of wax paper on your rolling surface which will not only protect your table top but also keep the visible surface of your candle unblemished.
Once you're satisfied that the beeswax sheet is suitably warm and pliable, place a length of wick along one edge of the beeswax sheet. If you have sufficient length of wick it's a good idea to have an inch or two overhanging each end. This way you needn't decide which is the base and which is the top of the candle until the end.
Fold the edge of the beeswax sheet over and around the wick, using the heat from your hands to gently tuck it in to achieve a round basis for rolling the rest of your candle. Working gently from one end of the wick to the other, roll the beeswax sheet up very slowly and carefully to avoid any cracking or breaking of the beeswax sheet. The diameter of the candle will rapidly grow with each roll you make. Once you come to the end of the sheet you can again use the heat from your hands to press the edge gently into the body of the candle. Warm beeswax will maintain the shape that you have pressed it into and the edge of the candle will hold firm without the need for any adhesive or binding.
Once you have decided which is top and bottom, trim the wick at the base flush with the bottom of the candle and trim the wick at the top to about quarter of an inch before burning.
To make a short wide pillar candle out of one beewax sheet, you just need to cut the sheet in half the long way and set the two narrow ends together before rolling your candle. When the first sheet ends, continue rolling with the second to build up the width of your candle.
If you want to make a little more effort with your candle and don't mind having to melt a little wax, you can make your candle look both more decorative and elegant by priming the wick the same colour as your candle. If you're going to do this, you'll need to remember to cut off a small strip of your beeswax sheet ready for melting before you start rolling your candle.
Julie Sinclair is a candle making enthusiast who enjoys helping others to get started in this amazing hobby. For more great information on making beeswax candles, visit www.candlemakingtoptips.com
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