Candles are particularly comforting during the fall and winter. This Bourbon & Beeswax Candle is the perfect addition to your home for autumn and beyond. It’s made with the new Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil, which features notes of spicy clove, leather and oak cask.
This candle is made with yellow beeswax, which has its own natural scent. The yellow beeswax and Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil smell amazing together. The end result is a rich, warm and inviting scent. If you prefer the fragrance oil on its own you can use white beeswax, which does not have a strong scent.
Because beeswax has such a high melting point, you’ll have some extra considerations when working with it. It can be melted in a double boiler or in a microwave. Just make sure your container is suitable for such high heat.
What You Need:
Five Candle Tins
Five Wu-150 White Cotton Candle Wicks
16 oz. Yellow Beeswax
1.3 oz. Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil
Five Plastic Straws
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
WICK PREP: There are several methods for steadying the wick in your candle tin. One of the easiest involves a plastic straw. Cut the straw lengthwise to the middle and slide the wick into this slit. Place the straw across the top of the candle tin and adjust the wick so it touches the bottom of the candle tin. Repeat this process for each wick and set the wicks and tins aside.
ONE: Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. You can turn any pot into a double boiler with the Double Boiler Maker. Alternatively, you can melt the beeswax in the microwave. Be careful – because of beeswax’s high melting point, even a heat-safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot. If you do use a microwave, melt the beeswax in 1-minute bursts and stir frequently.
TWO: Add the Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil and stir into the wax. It’s normal for some of the beeswax to solidify when it comes in contact with the oil. Stir until the solid beeswax melts.
THREE: Pour the wax into each candle tin. Then, place each wick in the center of the candle. Make sure the wick touches the bottom of the candle tin.
CLEAN UP TIP: Beeswax is tricky to clean because it has such a high melting point. Immediately after pouring the candles, use a paper towel to wipe any excess hot wax from the bowl and stirring utensils. The more wax you can wipe out, the better. Then if necessary, clean with extremely hot water and dish soap. Another option is to use the technique shown in this video.
FIVE: Allow the wax to fully cool and harden. This will take several hours. Once the candles are completely firm, light and enjoy. Of course, never leave your candle unattended.
DIY Bourbon & Beeswax Candles
Ingredients
- Five Candle Tins
- Five Wu-150 White Cotton Candle Wicks
- 16 oz. Yellow Beeswax
- 1.3 oz. Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil
- Five Plastic Straws
Instructions
WICK PREP: There are several methods for steadying the wick in your candle tin. One of the easiest involves a plastic straw. Cut the straw lengthwise to the middle and slide the wick into this slit. Place the straw across the top of the candle tin and adjust the wick so it touches the bottom of the candle tin. Repeat this process for each wick and set the wicks and tins aside.
- Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. You can turn any pot into a double boiler with the Double Boiler Maker. Alternatively, you can melt the beeswax in the microwave. Be careful – because of beeswax’s high melting point, even a heat-safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot. If you do use a microwave, melt the beeswax in 1-minute bursts and stir frequently.
- Add the Kentucky Bourbon Fragrance Oil and stir into the wax. It’s normal for some of the beeswax to solidify when it comes in contact with the oil. Stir until the solid beeswax melts.
- Pour the wax into each candle tin. Then, place each wick in the center of the candle. Make sure the wick touches the bottom of the candle tin.
CLEAN UP TIP: Beeswax is tricky to clean because it has such a high melting point. Immediately after pouring the candles, use a paper towel to wipe any excess hot wax from the bowl and stirring utensils. The more wax you can wipe out, the better. Then if necessary, clean with extremely hot water and dish soap.
- Allow the wax to fully cool and harden. This will take several hours. Once the candles are completely firm, light and enjoy. Of course, never leave your candle unattended.
Can these be done with wooden wicks?
We haven’t tried this project with wooden wicks before, so definitely do a small test candle first. As long as you keep it in a smaller container though, it shouldn’t be a problem to use wooden wicks instead. Beeswax has a very high melt point though, so you may have to double wick. Experiment with it a little bit.
I watched your video on vimeo about candle making – super informative! I searched your site for heat guns and you don’t sell them – are there any you recommend, or do you have any guidelines for how hot it should ideally get? I see a bunch on amazon and home depot, but I want to make sure the one I get is not too puny and is not too beefy specifically for leveling the top of candles that have sinkholes. Thank you!
A heat gun with a wattage range between 750-1200 will do the trick nicely.
I would really love to make this recipe, but the wicks that were used are now discontinued on BB. What wicks would work just as good that you guys sell? Thank you!
We haven’t tested any other wicks for this recipe. The closest would be our Wu-250 Brown Cotton Candle Wicks. It may make a larger burn pool. I would recommend a small test candle to make sure you like the results and it burns well.
Wu-250 Brown Cotton Candle Wicks: https://www.brambleberry.com/Wu-250-Brown-Cotton-Candle-Wicks-P3315.aspx
Has anyone melted the beeswax with some coconut oil to lower the melting point and help with sent retention? I am new to candle making and read this in a couple blogs. I am going to try and make some sented beeswax candles for Christmas gifts in little 8oz Mason jars. Oh has anyone tried wood wicks in beeswax? Thanks for all your help.
We have not tried the wood wicks in beeswax yet, if we do we will be posting more information about that. You can definitely add additional oils and butters to your candles, but if you add too much just know the candles will be much softer and will melt a lot quicker than normal!
Is there a difference between Soy Wax and Beeswax when making candles ? If you want to use Beeswax and the recipe calls for Soy wax is there a conversion or is it a 1:1 reatio ?
Thank you
Beeswax has a much higher melt point and tends to be a bit harder overall, so you would need to use different wicks if you wanted to switch to Soy Wax.
I did this recipe and used larger (250) wicks as I saw someone suggest in either this post or another and the candles are still tunneling. How do I fix this? I really want to start making candles to sell online but do not want to send them out if they burn like this.
Thank you!
I would suggest placing the candles in a hot water bath to try and melt the wax, that way you can save it and put smaller wicks in the containers. You may need to simmer the jars for awhile to get the beeswax to melt, but that way you save your wax and you can reuse your containers.
Hi, what’s the burn time for these candles?
We didn’t test the burn time, but I personally burned one and it lasted all day. I would say it’s at least 6 hours.
I would just like to know if you ship to Kenyan and what it would cost for the whole package
We do ship products to Kenya. Learn more in our international shipping policies: http://www.brambleberry.com/International-Shipping-Policies.aspx
To get a cost estimate, place all the items you’d like on BrambleBerry.com in your cart. Then, enter your information in the “Shipping Estimate” section.
Hi!
Can you tell me what size circle sticker label to use with these lids?
Thank you!
The lids are 2.5″ across, so you can size the labels to cover the whole lid or leave a border around them.
At what temperature should the wax be poured?
Beeswax starts to solidify around 144F, so we recommend pouring this wax when the candles are around 150-155F. If they start to harden before you can pour, just pop the wax back in the microwave on 10 second bursts until it’s melted again.
Beeswax tends to shrink and pull away from the containers, especially when the containers are cooler. To prevent that, you can also heat your containers to around 150F so the tin and the wax cool at the same rate. Get more tips in this post: https://soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/candles-q/
What temp does the wax need to be poured?
Beeswax starts to solidify around 144F, so we recommend pouring this wax when the candles are around 150-155F. If they start to harden before you can pour, just pop the wax back in the microwave on 10 second bursts until it’s melted again.
Beeswax tends to shrink and pull away from the containers, especially when the containers are cooler. To prevent that, you can also heat your containers to around 150F so the tin and the wax cool at the same rate. Get more tips in this post: https://soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/candles-q/
Can I use essential oil in the beewax candle recipe?
Yes, you can scent your candles with essential oils. We recommend making a small test candle to see how it smells when burned. To find out how much scent to add, you can use our Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
buenos días : me gustaría saber si se puede reemplazar la fragancia por otra y si estas vela se puede usar para masaje o puedes subir una receta de velas de masaje
me encanto tu vídeo.mil gracias por compartir tus conocimientos.
Yes, you can use another fragrance for this recipe. We recommend testing the fragrance to see how it smells when burned: https://soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/can-add-fragrance-oils-candles/
This beeswax recipe can’t be used as a massage candle because it may burn the skin, but this recipe can: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkkwhtsqCCg&t=281s
Can anyone let me know how to list an infusion of olive oil and annatto powder on a soap label? I strain the infusion through a coffee filter so that there is VERY little powder, if any, in the soap. I only do this to get a nice Natural color. Thanks in advance. Soap on!
I just say “annatto infused olive oil” on my label.
I believe the annatto infused olive oil will work just fine. To be extra careful, you can check Marie Gale’s book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling. She has a lot of great information explained in simple terms: https://www.brambleberry.com/Soap-And-Cosmetic-Labeling-Book-1-Book-P3663.aspx
I love this tutorial! I have tried to make beeswax candles, but mine always crack. Why is that and what am I doing wrong?
Cracks are usually temperature related. If there are temperature fluctuations or the beeswax cools too quickly, it can pull away from the side of the container or crack on top. To prevent that, you can heat your container before pouring the beeswax in. It also helps to keep your candle in a warm room with a consistent temperature, like the kitchen.
If you still get that cracking, hit the top with a heat gun for a few seconds. That will even the top out, and will work for any bumps or divots too.
Get more candle tips here: https://soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/candles-q/
I’ve never used yellow beeswax, I will have to check that out. I assume you should wait until the melted wax is below the flashpoint of the fragrance oil before adding it? Does it matter?
The theory is that if you add the fragrances when the wax is hotter than the flashpoint, it will burn off and the scent won’t be as strong. We haven’t noticed much of a difference either way. If you want to be extra careful, you can add the fragrance when the beeswax is cooler.