Learn how to make beeswax tea light candles with just a few supplies. These homemade tea light candles have an amazing honey aroma from the beeswax, and have a cleaner, brighter burn than candles made from petroleum-based paraffin wax.

I started making my own candles a couple of years ago, after learning about the numerous toxins found in paraffin wax and wicks.

When paraffin wax candles are lit and burn, they can release harmful chemicals like benzene, acetone and toluene into the air, which are known carcinogens, along with other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde. Some wicks, especially in cheaper candles, may contain lead or other heavy metals. 

Beeswax candles, however, may help to purify and improve indoor air quality by releasing negative ions that bind to and neutralise positively charged airborne pollutants like dust, pollen, and other allergens. Plus, beeswax naturally has a subtle honey aroma, which gives off a beautiful fragrance when lit.

While tea light candles are really cheap to buy at the store, they’re also made with chemical fragrances and cheap paraffin wax and wicks. 

My partner loves to use tea light candles for his wax melter, so I wanted to make him some clean-burning beeswax tea light candles as an alternative for him to use, which is how these tea light candles came about.

Although making your own tea light candles by hand may seem counterproductive when you can buy them for such a cheap price at the store, it’s a great DIY project to get into, particularly if you use tea light candles often, and is well worth the effort. You only need a few inexpensive materials and equipment to make your own beautiful, natural tea light candles.

Materials Needed for Beeswax Tea Light Candles

Some equipment and materials needed to make tea light candles at home include the following:

• Tea Light Candle Cups – These can be found online, at craft stores, or you can reuse the cups from old tea light candles.
• Candle Wicks– The wicks for tea light candles should be about 1 1/4 inch long. You can purchase pre-tabbed cotton wicks or wicks and tabs separately and make them yourself. Ensure to opt for wicks that are made from pure cotton, without lead, tin or zinc in the core, and candle wick tabs made from high quality stainless steel, as they will be highly resistant to corrosion and can be recycled at their end of their life cycle.
• Pure Beeswax– I sourced beeswax from a local beekeeper in my area, which came with a few impurities. So to clean the wax, I melted the block of beeswax down, scooped out any impurities in the wax, and then poured the wax into a rectangular mould to harden and set again for use in future DIY projects (like these tea light candles!). Beeswax can be sourced from local vendors, health food stores, or it can be ordered online from a reputable seller. Beeswax may come in varying colours ranging from white to yellow to brown, depending on factors like the types of flowers and pollen that the bees foraged on when making the wax, the age of the wax, the presence of impurities, and the level of processing or filtering. If purchased from a reputable vendor, soy wax is another alternative to beeswax.
• Coconut Oil – By incorporating a 2:1 ratio of beeswax to coconut oil in the candle recipe, this helps to slightly soften the beeswax, lowering its melting point and allowing the candle to melt more evenly without tunnelling as much, leading to a cleaner, longer burn. 

Before we get started in learning how to make these beeswax tea light candles, if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!

Homemade Beeswax Tea Light Candles

This recipe makes approximately 25 tea light candles from 1 pound of beeswax.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb 100% pure beeswax, either in pellets or as a block
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 25 tea light candle cups
• 25 1 1/4-inch pre-tabbed cotton wicks
• Metal pitcher
• Bamboo skewers or paddle pop sticks

To Make:

1. Pour the beeswax into a metal pitcher and place the pitcher in a large pot of water – filled just enough to cover the outside of the pitcher, without spilling over into the pitcher. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Turn the heat down to medium heat and stir the wax occasionally until completely melted. Make sure no water spills into the pitcher.
3. If you are not using pre-tabbed wicks, while the wax is melting, prepare the wicks by cutting pieces that are approximately 1 1/4 inch long. You may need to trim them at the end, so cut the wicks at a length that is slightly longer than what you’ll need for the tea light candles.
4. Hold the wick using small tongs or old tweezers and lower it into the melted beeswax for about 10-15 seconds. This will allow the beeswax to soak into the cotton wick. Lift your wick out of the wax and immediately place it on some parchment paper to dry and harden. After a couple of seconds, you can gently straighten the wick. Repeat this process for all 25 wicks.
5. Next, place the hardened wicks into the stainless steel wick tabs, and attach the wicks to the bottoms of the tea light candle cups, making sure they are centred.
6. Once the beeswax has melted, stir in the coconut oil with a bamboo skewer or a paddle pop stick, then remove the saucepan from heat. Keep the pitcher in the hot water to ensure the wax stays melted.
7. Carefully pour the melted wax into each tea light cup, filling the wax to the top. The wick should stand up straight on its own but if needed, use your fingers to straighten it out.
8. Allow the wax to cool and harden completely before lighting, which may take around 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
9. If needed, trim the candle wicks to approximately 1/4 inch before lighting.

This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Have you made tea light candles before? How were they? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

Vanessa