For those of you who are not beekeepers, which is most people, you can buy blocks of beeswax from Michaels or Hobby Lobby, for about $15/block. I bought my adorable little jars from hobby lobby along with the wicks, and tea light holders. I also bought some candle scenting oils.
I melted my rendered beeswax in my crock pot. If you buy a block just stick it in the crock pot and let it melt. Then I used a turkey baster to draw up the melted wax, and I dropped it into the candle holders. Just a heads up this will ruin your turkey baster, so I recommend buying a cheapo one before hand. The wax ends up hardening in there by the time you are done, and its just a mess.
Before your put the wax in, make sure to place your wick in the bottom. You will have to adjust it as you add the wax to make it straight. I bought the wicks with the metal base so it would sit up, I think if you are doing a lot of candles these are best. Without the metal base you have to hold the wick straight up until the candle hardens.
If you are adding a scented oil do so as soon as you drop the wax in, while it is still liquid. I put three drops in each of my tea lights and about 6 in my slightly larger jars.
I bought my labels at Michaels, they were all Martha Stewart brand labels. I am a sucker for all things Martha Stewart! I labeled the bottom of every candle to identify the scent. My three scents were Cinnamon, Banana Bread, and Tropical Mango.
This is such a fun project to do for Christmas gifts. Everyone loves candles and homemade is even better!
Here is my finished product. I ended up with 3 of the bigger jars, and 11 tea lights. I bought some glass tea light holders. I am going to wrap them in cellophane bags as Christmas presents. Great neighbor gifts, or gifts for people you don't ordinarily buy for.
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